7 key things about key workers in Scotland and what it tells us

28th May 2020

The CoVid-19 pandemic has awoken many to the role that key workers play in our society. But who exactly are they, and what do we know about them? This short article provides a summary of analysis carried out using pre-crisis Labour Force Survey data to help give us a basic understanding of this group of workers.



In Scotland, the Scottish Government has left it to Councils to designate key workers. Although there may be some small differences, we expect that the designations will be largely similar to the definitions we have adopted for this analysis.

1. Over a third of workers in Scotland are a key worker

More precisely, 34% of workers in Scotland come under the definition of key workers, a similar proportion to that of the whole UK. This equates to approximately 920,000 people in Scotland.

2. Key workers come from a diverse range of sectors

We have used the same definition for our analysis as the Office for National Statistics. They have identified the industry and occupation groups that correspond best (although not quite exactly) with the UK Government's definition of key workers.

These cover a wide variety of professions from butchers and bakers (although unfortunately not candlestick makers) through to health professionals, social workers, broadcasters, police and transport and utility workers.

Read the full article HERE