UNEMPLOYMENT in Scotland fell slightly in the last quarter, latest figures show, while the rest of the UK saw a rise.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over was 3.8% in Scotland between September and November last year.
This was a 0.2% drop on the previous quarter and below the UK wide rate of 4.4%.
Across the UK as a whole, the jobless rate rose unexpectedly from 4.3% in the three months to October.
Scotland's jobless rate being better than the UK's as a whole is a trend that has been recorded consistently throughout 2024.
There were 105,000 people aged 16 and over out of work in Scotland between September and November last year, according to the figures.
The employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 was 74.1%, up 1% on the previous quarter.
The figures show that 2,625,000 people aged 16 and over in Scotland were in employment during that period.
The Scottish Government said HMRC’s early estimates show there were 2.45 million payrolled employees in Scotland in December 2024, 8000 less than the number of such employees in the previous month and 11,000 lower compared with December 2023.
Across the UK, the number of payrolled employees was estimated to have tumbled by 47,000 during December to 30.3 million – the biggest drop since November 2020.
Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes (above) said: “These figures show that our labour market is proving resilient despite a challenging economic environment.
“It’s encouraging to see payrolled employment remains close to record levels and Scotland has higher median monthly pay than the UK.
“The First Minister will tomorrow outline his priorities for Scotland’s economy, including closer relations with the EU and the need for the UK Government to introduce a migration policy tailored to Scotland’s distinct needs and bolster our working-age population.
“The Scottish Government is also committed to getting more people into work, which is why our draft Budget was developed in partnership with businesses and includes £90 million for employability services.”