Scotland’s in the doledrums

UNEMPLOYMENT IN Scotland has increased again while falling across the UK as a whole, new figures have revealed.

The UK’s jobless total fell by 49,000 between July and September to 2.51 million, official figures showed.

However, in Scotland the number of people who are unemployed – which includes those out of work and not eligible for benefits – increased by 4,000 to 218,000 over the same period.

The unemployment rate north of the border remains above that for the UK as a whole, standing at 8.1% compared to 7.8%.

A s well as the rise in the jobless total, the number of Scots in employment fell by 27,000 between to July and September, to 2,472,000.

The Scottish employment rate is now 70.6% – lower than the UK average of 71.2%

The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker’s A llowance has also risen slightly north of the border. This increased by 100 from September to 140,700 in October.

First Minister lex Salmond hit out at the UK Government, claiming the “complacency” of Chancellor George Osborne was the “biggest danger to the economy”.

He accused the Westminster Government of “basking in the Olympics afterglow” while it was “still clear what is needed is a direct capital investment stimulus to boost the economy”.

Mr Osborne will deliver his autumn statement next month and Mr Salmond said the rising jobless figures meant it was “ever more critical” for him to “take meaningful action to bring jobs and growth to the UK economy”.

He added: “The biggest danger to the economy is the complacency of George Osborne. He should remember the positive effect of the Olympics on employment will only last a few months, while the impact of the decisions he makes in this forthcoming autumn statement will last for years.”

AScotland Office Minister David Mundell said it was a “cause for obvious concern that the latest Scottish figures show another increase in unemployment while it is falling in the rest of the UK.

“Today’s figures are a reminder we must redouble our efforts to rebalance the economy and get people back into sustainable jobs.”

“Each one of these statistics represents a person or a family affected by serious economic conditions across the globe and we must do all we can to help them.”

A Scotland Office spokesman responded to Mr Salmond’s calls for further cash for infrastructure investment by stating: “The Scottish Government has received more than £1 billion in additional funding since the Spending Review 2010, of which £730 million is for capital spending – that more than covers the £400 million stimulus they are seeking.

“It is for them to explain why they have not used it for additional capital spending.”

Labour finance spokesman Ken Macintosh demanded the First Minister take responsibility for the “dreadful” unemployment figures. “He can’t keep hiding behind this bungling Tory Government, particularly now that Scottish unemployment is continuing to increase while the rest of the UK manages a small recovery,” he said.

“His failure to put jobs rather than the referendum as the central focus of his Government is the reason why Scotland lags behind the UK and his Government has to answer for it.”

Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “While the Scottish Government’s announced national employer recruitment incentive is welcome in principle, they must work with us to ensure it delivers for businesses and enables them to create the jobs that are its stated aim.

“However, such incentives are something of a sticking plaster.

“A series of initiatives is no substitute for a consistently proactive focus on ensuring Scotland’s businesses are supported.”