Annual Population Survey in Scotland 2005

This summary publication presents analysis on the labour market, education and training. Results are presented here at Scotland and sub-Scotland levels.


Economic inactivity

People who are economically inactive are neither employed nor unemployed. Those who are economically inactive are not in work and are not seeking/available for work. Reasons for economic inactivity include being sick or disabled, looking after family or home, being a student and taking early retirement.

All persons

The economic inactivity rate of working age people in Scotland was estimated to be 20.8% in 2005 (Table 12). The total number of working age people who were economically inactive was estimated to be 649,000. Of those who were economically inactive 29.8% want to work ( Table 13).

Table 12: Economic inactivity rates and levels for working age people, 2004-2005

Geography (Residence Based)

2004

2005

Proportion

Proportion

Level

Scotland

21.0%

20.8%

649,000

Local Authority Area

Aberdeen City

19.0%

16.9%

22,000

Aberdeenshire

16.4%

16.0%

23,000

Angus

20.3%

18.8%

12,000

Argyll & Bute

18.9%

19.1%

10,000

Clackmannanshire

22.5%

22.8%

6,000

Dumfries & Galloway

18.0%

18.5%

15,000

Dundee City

24.6%

23.3%

20,000

East Ayrshire

23.4%

24.6%

18,000

East Dunbartonshire

16.8%

16.6%

11,000

East Lothian

19.5%

18.9%

11,000

East Renfrewshire

17.4%

17.2%

10,000

Edinburgh, City of

20.3%

19.0%

56,000

Eilean Siar

16.3%

16.1%

2,000

Falkirk

19.3%

20.1%

18,000

Fife

18.1%

19.1%

42,000

Glasgow City

29.6%

27.9%

104,000

Highland

13.9%

16.3%

20,000

Inverclyde

25.4%

24.5%

12,000

Midlothian

17.0%

16.3%

8,000

Moray

19.6%

20.5%

10,000

North Ayrshire

25.0%

22.8%

19,000

North Lanarkshire

24.5%

23.4%

47,000

Orkney Islands

13.5%

13.5%

2,000

Perth & Kinross

18.9%

20.0%

16,000

Renfrewshire

22.0%

21.3%

22,000

Scottish Borders

18.0%

18.3%

12,000

Shetland Islands

12.8%

11.8%

2,000

South Ayrshire

20.3%

21.3%

14,000

South Lanarkshire

20.7%

21.9%

41,000

Stirling

19.1%

20.7%

11,000

West Dunbartonshire

23.6%

23.5%

13,000

West Lothian

17.6%

20.1%

22,000

Deprivation

15% Most Deprived Areas

36.9%

34.5%

153,000

Rest of Scotland

18.3%

18.5%

497,000

Urban/Rural Classification (6 fold)

Large Urban Areas

23.9%

22.8%

279,000

Other Urban Areas

20.2%

20.1%

182,000

Accessible Small Towns

18.7%

20.1%

66,000

Remote Small Towns

17.1%

18.4%

16,000

Accessible Rural

18.7%

18.2%

77,000

Remote Rural

16.3%

18.4%

30,000

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