Scotland’s jobless rate higher than UK

Scotland’s unemployment rate stagnated between February and April, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures have shown.

The rate was 4.3 per cent over the period, the same as November to January, and just above the UK as a whole (4.2 per cent).

The number of unemployed Scots aged 16 to 64 was 116,000, up by 2,000 on November to January. There were 118,000 classified as unemployed, unchanged from the previous quarter.

The employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 rose from 74.8 per cent to 75.2 per cent, with the number of “working age” Scots in jobs increasing from 2.549 million to 2.562 million. The number in employment fell from 2.644 million to 2.642 million. The Scottish economy will experience modest growth this year, but at a rate below that previously forecast and less than the rest of the UK, a leading financial report has predicted.

The EY Scottish ITEM Club 2018 summer update published today said Scotland’s non-oilgdpforecastwillgrow by 1.3 per cent in 2018, a figure downgraded from the 1.4 per cent predicted in December last year.

Furthermore, the UK is expected to stretch ahead of Scotland with 1.6 per cent GDP growth forecast for this year. In December last year it had been predicted that Scottish growth would match the performance of the UK as a whole.

According to the report, Scotland’s growth will be driven by consumer spending, albeit at a slower pace.

The rate of consumers’ expenditure is expected to fall from 1.1 per cent last year to 0.5 per cent in 2018.

The report said export performance would have a have an influential bearing on growth.

Last year the strength of Scottish exports led to net trade boosting the Scottish economy. The document predicted that this would continue – although a strengthening pound,makingproductsmore expensive to international buyers, would temper some of the positive impact this year.