Unemployment In Scotland Drops To Record Low Of 3.4%

19th March 2019

Scotland's unemployment rate fell to a new record low over the winter months, according to official figures.

Between November and January, the jobless total fell by 9,000 to 94,000.

The new unemployment rate of 3.4% is below the UK rate of 3.9%.

The number of Scots in work rose by 13,000 to 2,592,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Scottish employment rate for those of working age is now 75.3%.

Other Points

For the three months ending January 2019, the highest employment rate estimate in the UK was in the South West (79.9%) and the lowest was in Northern Ireland (70.9%).

For the three months ending January 2019, the highest unemployment rate estimate in the UK was in Yorkshire and The Humber (5.2%) and the lowest was in the South West (2.9%).

For the three months ending January 2019, the highest economic inactivity rate estimate in the UK was in Northern Ireland (26.4%) and the lowest was in the South West (17.6%).

Between September and December 2018, the largest estimated increase in workforce jobs in the UK was in the South East at 59,000, whilst the largest decrease was in Wales at 9,000.

In December 2018, the region with the highest estimated proportion of workforce jobs in the services sector was London at 91.5%, whilst the East Midlands had the highest proportion of jobs in the production sector at 14.5%.

The highest average estimated actual weekly hours worked, for the 12 months ending September 2018, was in London at 33.8 hours and the lowest was in the South West at 31.2 hours; for full-time and part-time workers, it was highest in Northern Ireland, at 38.4 hours and 17.8 hours respectively.

See the full report at - https://bit.ly/2HvuNmq