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The latest Labour Market Statistics have been published this morning聽.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:聽

We鈥檝e made good progress as聽wages are rising faster than inflation聽and payroll numbers in Scotland have increased since the start of 2024.聽We are also putting more money in people鈥檚 pockets by halving inflation, cutting taxes and boosting the National Living Wage.

Getting more people into employment is a priority. Our聽拢2.5bn Back to Work measures are聽transforming lives and, with direct UK Government investment in Scotland now standing at more than 拢3bn, we are creating jobs and opportunities right across the UK.

Background:

• Around 2.4million people in Scotland are 拢833 better off on average per year thanks to two National Insurance cuts.

• 200,000 hard-working Scots are seeing an average increase of 拢1800 a year thanks to the biggest ever rise to the National Living Wage.

• Scotland鈥檚 unemployment rate at 4.4%聽from January to March 2024 is slightly improved on the previous quarter, down 0.1 percentage points from how it stood between October and December 2023. This compares to an increase of 0.5 p.p. for the UK overall, which stands at 4.3%.

• Comparing year-on-year figures however, Scotland鈥檚 unemployment rate of 4.4% is up 1.0 p.p. or 28,000聽over the year聽to stand at 120,000. The UK unemployment rate has also slightly weakened with an increase of 0.3 p.p. at 4.3%.

• Scotland鈥檚 employment rate at 73.1%聽is below the UK rate of 74.5%. Over the last quarter, Scotland鈥檚 employment rate fell by 1.2 p.p. or 38,000. Also, employment level is 46,000 down compared to one year ago (-1.6 p.p.).聽The聽UK鈥檚 employment rate聽at 74.5% is down 0.6 p.p. on the quarter and down by 0.8 p.p. over the year.

• The seasonally聽adjusted number of聽聽people claiming benefits聽in April 2024 at 104,200聽is slightly down from 105,100 in March (-900) and is 8,800 down from聽the 113,000 one year ago.