Unemployment in the country dropped by an amazing 6,000.
The figures also show that actual employment increased by 47,000 in the 3 months, that the number of people claiming JSA dropped by 700 over the period, and that youth unemployment dropped by 6.1% over the last year.
These figures compare well with the UK figures for the same period.
Unemployment in the UK overall is down by 5,000 (meaning that it has increased elsewhere in the UK: a fact that the BBC somehow neglected to mention).
The news on youth unemployment is particularly encouraging. The UK figure is 19.5%, so the figure of 15.2% in Scotland is extremely good news.
As the article goes on to say, our government has announced an investment of £88 million in work and support for small businesses. The money has the potential to create 10,000 youth jobs in the country.
We have a long way to go, but at least we can say ...so much for all the scare stories from Osborne and his like about how the fear of uncertainty would blight the Scottish economy. Like on so many other issues, it seems he was either ill informed, or lying.
They invested around £2 million in setting up a distillery in Harris which apart from giving employment to local tradesmen in the building will lead to between 20 and 30 full-time employment.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to tasting the product.
Saw an apposite quotation for me "Half of what I say is meaningless but I say it so you can benefit from the other half"!
Half, John?
Delete:)
Great news about the distillery in Harris. It's important to make sure that every corner of our country benefits from investment.
Yes, must admit to be doing a bit of unjustified bragging there!
DeleteIndeed! :¬)
DeleteWe now have ANOTHER reason, as if Westminster actually needed ANY reason, as to why we are better together. Not only is OUR oil being "stolen" by Westminster to aid THEIR financial incompetence but now OUR ever IMPROVING unemployment/employment figures are being used to help Westminster look good on this front as well.
ReplyDelete6,000 DROP in unemployment in Scotland is GREAT but I wonder what Westminster's figures are WITHOUT Scotland's figures.........Oops that's right a 1,000 RISE!
I'm guessing that the UK's Youth unemployment rate WITHOUT Scotland would not be looking quite the same either without Scotland's youth unemployment figures either!
Isn't it a GREAT feeling to know that Scotland is so INDISPENSABLE to Westminster! NOW we know why Better Together have NO answers to the question of WHY? The ONLY people who are Better Together with anyone is Westminster WITH Scotland NOT Scotland with Westminster!
Every day we realise now why they tell us that they are better together... sorry WE are better together (easy mistake to make).
DeleteTris
ReplyDeleteQuiet apt when you compare the figures to the destruction brought by Thatcher as illustrated last night in Part two of the Road to Referendum, the lack of fight by Donald (not the father of the nation)Dwer and Miliband/Lamont today. Under an SNP Government too , it's all AS fault.
Bruce
Haven't seen that yet Bruce. I'm looking forward to some interesting figures and facts.
DeleteHate to put a (possible) dampener on things but anyone on the work programme is NOT counted as being unemployed, so what is the throughput onto WP (and indeed off) in this time period? "Unemployment in the country dropped by an amazing 6,000" BUT "number of people claiming JSA dropped by (ONLY my addition) 700 over the period" suggests this might be an issue.
ReplyDeleteYes it is good it's a drop, given that in EWNI it has risen, but have they actually gone into proper employment
You're right to draw that to our attention.
DeleteI think when people are put on work programmes they are taken off JSA and put onto a training allowance (which is JSA plus £10 pw plus some travel expenses).
In theory then the JSA figure should reduce by the number of people taken off it.
The JSA figure is quite low, because if a claimant has a partner they are not allowed JSA. If they are not allowed JSA they see no real point in signing on (given how degrading the process is and that there is very little in the way of help available from JSA staff).
Many of the people who have been made redundant since the 2008 crisis don't sign on, because there is no point. They already have sufficient stamps for their pension rights, and in any case that requirement is about to go, because of the need to give equal rights to women who only worked part of their lives because of child raising responsibilities.
The figures may mean a deal less than the headlines suggest, but it is still pretty good news.
Sorry Tris but people on the WP get exactly the same JSA as they did when they weren't on the WP. There no longer is an extra £10, that was an older scheme. They are still on the (JSA) claiment count but NOT counted as unemployed. You get travel expenses. If you don't trust the Panda, then Rod at Auld Acquaintance will back me up.
DeleteLOL. Of course I trust the panda, PP. It's just that when I worked at JC+ they came off the register and got £10 for most courses, and £15 for New Deal.
DeleteBut of course, trust this lot to get rid of that (which is terrible, because, if you are at home, you can make do with a cuppa soup and toast for lunch, but if you are working you need a proper lunch). How the hell do you afford that on £53 a week.
I wonder how we can find out what proportion of people are on this WP.
Incidentally, I believe the courts have told IDS to publish the names of the companies that use the slave labour. Needless to say they are wasting our money fighting it, but it will be my intention to stop shopping anywhere where there is unpaid labour.
Oops you're getting two things conflated Tris, Work Programme and Workfare. After a qualifying period of receiving JSA you are mandated to the Work programme. The period varies depending on a few factors such as age. People on ESA (work related, but not support group)can go on the WP too.
DeleteWorkfare is the work for 30 hours pw for JSA and is for a set period of time. Ironically those on ESA ( ie not fit for work now but expected to be at some point) can be made to do workfare indefinitely.
As for avoiding companies using workfare, try the imaginatively titled website "Boycott workfare" which lists the companies.
EEEEEK,PP
DeleteI haven't kept up, have I?
Thanks for the info and the website. :)
I think the true unemployment rate in the UK is around 15-20%.
ReplyDeleteEntrance to further education has never been easier. These folk sre not unemployed. Yet.
Folk that are classed as disabled. Not unemployed. Yet.
16 - 18 year olds. Don't count.
Not claiming benefit because they won't give you any? Not counted.
I've gave up.
It goes without saying that any figures from the DWP are likely to be lies, Jutie.
ReplyDeleteIt's just amazing that with all this fabrication going on, Scotland comes out on top. Given their dislike for praising anything we do, it is likely that we are ever better placed than at the figures suggest.