West Lothian jobless total is less than UK average

Unemployment in West Lothian is slightly lower than the Scottish and UK average.

Employment in the UK fell by the largest amount in over a decade between April and June, official figures have revealed.

The number of people in work across the UK fell by 220,000 on the quarter, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

However, West Lothian’s claimant rate for July currently sits at 5.9 per cent, an increase of 0.4 per cent on the previous month, but 0.5 per cent and 0.6 per cent lower than Scotland and the UK respectively.

Youth unemployment is currently 10.4 per cent in West Lothian, an increase of 0.6 per cent from June, which is the same increase as at a national level.

The overall rate for Scotland is 9.6 per cent up from nine per cent in June.

Executive councillor for development and transport Cathy Muldoon (right), who chairs the West Lothian Jobs Task Force, said: “Unfortunately there is a regular flow of job loss announcements across the country.

“West Lothian is well placed to tackle the expected downturn in the economy and although unemployment has risen locally, West Lothian’s claimant rate is below the Scottish average. We hope that is a sign of West Lothian’s resilience in the face of such extreme and challenging economic times.

“We know of many local businesses that continue to grow and flourish in West Lothian and we certainly hope and will do everything we can to ensure West Lothian remains a positive destination for business.

“We are working with partners and local businesses to plan a way forward for West Lothian and help where we can, and our plan includes measures to provide support for school leavers and provide more training and upskilling, generally, within growth sectors.

“However, the global economy is suffering and we are not going to be immune to that.”

Councillor Muldoon highlighted that the economic situation may get worse before it gets better.

She added:“Only recently KPMG’s chief economist in the UK said that figures represent‘the calm before the storm’and that figures still consider the government’s furlough scheme. However, as the Job Retention Scheme comes to an end in the months ahead, the full impact on the jobs market will be revealed, both local and nationally.

“For those affected, help will be available via a new dedicated helpline which will be launched next week and the council will work with our partners to provide as much advice, training and support as possible to those affected by this global pandemic which is clearly having a huge affect on the economy.”

The West Lothian Jobs Task Force brings together partners such as the council, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and West Lothian College to help boost the local economy, attract new investment and upskill workers.