PRESS RELEASE : Scottish Secretary comments on December 2022 labour market stats [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 13 December 2022.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

Scotland’s labour market continues to demonstrate its resilience, with unemployment remaining close to historic lows and the number of employees on the payroll continuing to rise.

The UK Government is committed to helping people find and progress in work, and to drive sustainable economic growth. The Chancellor set out a number of measures in the Autumn Statement to put public finances on a secure footing and to promote economic growth – steps that are already making a positive contribution to tackling inflationary pressures.

Background

Figures from the ONS show unemployment in Scotland at 3.3 per cent in Scotland, down 0.8 p.p since the same time last year. Scotland’s employment rate is at 75.9 per cent, an increase of 1.4 p.p over the last year.