Commenting after the latest official labour market statistics for Scotland were published by ONS, Grahame Smith, Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) General Secretary said:

“There’s no hiding the fact that this is a particularly worrying set of statistics. Unemployment is now back on a clear upward trend and working age employment is lower than it was a year ago.

“Whilst it is difficult to be precise about why Scotland’s labour market performance is increasingly weak relative to the rest of the UK, it is highly likely that job losses in the oil and gas sector are now having a tangible impact on the aggregate statistics. It is significant that Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire are the only Scottish local authority areas that have seen a rise in the claimant count over the year to September.

“With employment stagnating and unemployment over 50% higher than its pre-recession trough, it is essential that government at all levels refocuses on policies which will reinvigorate the labour market recovery in Scotland”.

ENDS

Contact Stephen Boyd 0141 337 8100

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