8th July 2026
Enterprise agencies in Scotland have spent decades publishing glossy numbers about “jobs created” and “jobs retained”. As the Highlands knows all too well, these figures often bear little resemblance to what actually happens on the ground.
The previous article explained how the numbers get inflated. This follow‑up sets out how to fix the system so that job reporting becomes honest, credible, and genuinely useful for rural communities.
This is not about attacking agencies. It is about building a reporting system that reflects reality, not political messaging.
Count Only Real Jobs — Not Promises, Projections, or Hopes
The biggest flaw in current reporting is that agencies count:
projected jobs,
hypothetical jobs,
business‑plan jobs,
temporary jobs,
and jobs that never materialise.
A credible system must count only jobs actually filled by real people.
What needs to change
Jobs should be counted only after recruitment, not at the grant‑approval stage.
Agencies should publish actual headcount, not “full‑time equivalents” that hide part‑time or seasonal work.
Temporary or seasonal jobs should be reported separately.
This alone would eliminate the majority of inflated claims.
Introduce Independent Verification — Not Self‑Reporting by Businesses
Right now, agencies rely on businesses to self‑report job numbers.
This is the root of the problem.
Fix
Require businesses to provide payroll evidence.
Require confirmation at 6 months and 12 months.
Require agencies to publish verified numbers, not projections.
Independent verification would stop the practice of counting jobs that never existed.
Remove Failed Outcomes From the Statistics
This is the most important reform.
Under the current system:
If a business collapses,
or the jobs disappear,
or the expansion fails,
the job numbers stay in the official totals forever.
This is how Norfrost and Hunters of Brora ended up contributing “jobs created” and “jobs retained” to the statistics even though both businesses later failed.
Fix
Introduce a “job survival test”.
If the job disappears within 24 months, it should be removed from the statistics.
Annual reports should include a “jobs lost after support” section.
This would transform the credibility of enterprise reporting overnight.
Separate “Jobs Created” From “Jobs Retained” — And Define Both Clearly
Right now, agencies use vague definitions that allow almost anything to be counted.
Fix
“Jobs created” should mean new roles that did not previously exist.
“Jobs retained” should mean roles that were genuinely at risk, with evidence required.
Agencies should publish the criteria used for each category.
This would stop the practice of counting jobs that were never under threat.
Publish Long‑Term Outcomes — Not Just Short‑Term Headlines
Enterprise agencies currently focus on announcement‑stage success, not long‑term results.
Fix
Publish 3‑year and 5‑year follow‑up reports.
Track whether the business grew, stabilised, or collapsed.
Track whether the jobs lasted.
This would reveal which types of support actually work — and which do not.
Rural‑Adjusted Reporting for the Highlands and Islands
The Highlands faces unique challenges:
smaller business base,
higher failure rates,
fragile markets,
long supply chains,
seasonal employment.
Enterprise reporting should reflect this.
Fix
Publish rural‑specific job statistics.
Separate Highland outcomes from Central Belt outcomes.
Report job longevity in rural areas.
Track the impact of repeated grants to the same business.
This would stop rural Scotland being buried inside national averages that hide decline.
End the Practice of Counting Jobs Before They Exist
This is the single most misleading practice.
Agencies routinely count:
jobs promised in business plans,
jobs expected after expansion,
jobs projected by consultants.
Fix
No job should be counted until a person is hired.
No job should be counted until the business is operational.
No job should be counted until payroll confirms it.
This would eliminate the “jobs created on paper” problem.
Publish a Public Register of Supported Businesses
Transparency is the strongest disinfectant.
Fix
Create a public register showing:
the business name,
the grant amount,
the number of jobs promised,
the number of jobs delivered,
the number of jobs still existing after 24 months,
whether the business later collapsed.
This would allow communities to see the real impact of public money — not just the headline claims.
Introduce Penalties for Misreporting
Right now, there is no consequence for inflated claims.
Fix
Businesses that exaggerate job numbers should face clawbacks.
Agencies that repeatedly publish inflated numbers should face audit intervention.
Ministers should be required to report corrected figures to Parliament.
This would create accountability where none currently exists.
Shift the Focus From Job Quantity to Job Quality
Enterprise agencies chase big numbers because they look good politically.
But rural Scotland needs:
stable jobs,
long‑term jobs,
skilled jobs,
anchored jobs.
Fix
Report:
job longevity,
job pay levels,
job security,
job type (full‑time, part‑time, seasonal),
job location.
This would align reporting with what communities actually need.
A System Built for Reality, Not Headlines
Fixing enterprise job reporting is not complicated.
It requires:
counting real jobs,
verifying outcomes,
removing failures,
defining terms clearly,
publishing long‑term results,
and being honest about rural challenges.
If Scotland adopted these reforms, the Highlands would finally see job statistics that match lived experience — not political messaging.
Until then, communities will continue to hear about “hundreds of jobs created” while watching long‑term decline in retail, services, and local employment.
How Enterprise Agencies Inflate Job Numbers
How Rural Job Creation Actually Works