After the Office for National Statistics’ latest labour market figures showed more Scottish people were on payroll than before the Covid-19 pandemic, Scottish secretary Alister Jack said this week that the UK government would continue to help Scottish residents find employment.
Between December 2021 and January 2022, the UK-wide figure for employees on payroll continued to increase.
Meanwhile, over Q4 of 2021, ONS figures showed that Scotland’s unemployment rate stood at 4.1 per cent, 0.6 per cent down on the previous quarter.
Responding to the encouraging numbers, Jack said that it came as evidence that the government’s Plan for Jobs was having the desired effect.
He said: “The UK government’s Plan for Jobs is working, with the number of Scots on the payroll remaining higher than before the pandemic, and unemployment rates stable. That is good news.
“While we must keep a close eye on the jobs market, our economy is proving resilient, thanks to the unprecedented package of measures we put in place at the start of the pandemic.”
Jack went on to say that the government would continue to exercise measures to support Scots in finding work, which formed a key facet to the Conservative government’s levelling up agenda.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has also visited Scotland this week to promote this agenda further, while an agreement has been struck between Westminster and Holyrood to establish two green freeports north of the border, creating further jobs.
Jack said: “We will continue to support people in Scotland to get jobs and to progress in work. This is a key part of our levelling up agenda, which will create opportunities and improve the lives of people in all parts of the UK.”
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
