Labour Market Statistics for 16 to 24 year olds: Scotland and the United Kingdom - April 2023 to March 2024

Employment

Overall

In April 2023 to March 2024, an estimated 299,600 people aged 16 to 24 were in employment in Scotland. This is 14,100 less than the number of 16 to 24 year olds employed in April 2022 to March 2023.

The estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 54.1 per cent in April 2023 to March 2024. This was 2.8 percentage points (pp) lower than the year before (56.9 per cent) and 4.2 pp lower than in April 2018 to March 2019 (58.3 per cent). April 2018 to March 2019 is the last data point in the April to March series before the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the United Kingdom as a whole, the estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 53.0 per cent. This was 0.7 pp lower than a year ago (53.7 per cent) and 1.0 pp lower than in April 2018 to March 2019 (53.9 per cent).

The change since April 2018 to March 2019 for 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland represents a statistically significant change.

Chart 1: The employment rate for people aged 16 to 24 in Scotland has exceeded the United Kingdom rate in all years

Employment rate estimates for persons aged 16 to 24, Scotland and the United Kingdom, April 2004 to March 2005 through to April 2023 to March 2024

Source: Annual Population Survey, April to March datasets, ONS

Shaded areas represent 95 percent confidence intervals.

Employment by Sex

In April 2023 to March 2024, an estimated 149,200 men and 150,400 women aged 16 to 24 were in employment in Scotland.

The estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year old men was 53.6 per cent, 1.0 percentage point (pp) lower than a year ago (54.6 per cent) and 6.3 pp lower than in April 2018 to March 2019 (59.9 per cent). While the estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year old women was 54.6 per cent, 4.7 pp lower than a year ago (59.3 per cent) and 2.2 pp lower than in April 2018 to March 2019 (56.8 per cent).

The change since April 2018 to March 2019 for 16 to 24 year old men represents a statistically significant change.

Chart 2: The employment rate for women aged 16 to 24 was generally lower than for men until April 2013 to March 2014 when it began to fluctuate but since April 2019 to March 2020 the employment rate for women has been consistently higher than for men

Employment rate estimates for men and women aged 16 to 24 in Scotland, April 2004 to March 2005 through to April 2023 to March 2024

Source: Annual Population Survey, April to March datasets, ONS

Shaded areas represent 95 per cent confidence intervals.

Employment by Local Authority areas

Estimates by local authority are not included in this publication this quarter. See Introduction for further details.