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Publication - Statistics

Labour Market Statistics for 16 to 24 year olds: Scotland and the United Kingdom - July 2022 to June 2023

Published
13 September 2023
Directorate
Chief Economist Directorate
Topic
Economy, Work and skills

Statistics from the Annual Population Survey covering the period from July 2022 to June 2023.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Economic Inactivity

Overall

In July 2022 to June 2023, there were an estimated 209,200 economically inactive 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland. This is 11,200 higher than the number of inactive 16 to 24 year olds in July 2021 to June 2022. Over three quarters (76.5 per cent) of inactive 16 to 24 year olds were estimated to be in full-time education in July 2022 to June 2023.

The estimated inactivity rate was 37.9 per cent in July 2022 to June 2023. This was 1.9 percentage points (pp) higher than a year ago (36.1 per cent) and 3.4 pp higher than in July 2018 to June 2019 (34.5 per cent). July 2018 to June 2019 is the last data point in the July to June series before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the United Kingdom as a whole, the estimated inactivity rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 39.9 per cent. This was 0.2 pp lower than a year ago (40.1 per cent) but 1.0 pp higher than July 2018 to June 2019 (38.9 per cent).

Chart 6: The economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 24 in Scotland is generally lower than for the United Kingdom. However, the gap has been narrowing over time

Economic inactivity rate estimates for persons aged 16 to 24, Scotland and the United Kingdom, July 2004 to June 2005 through to July 2022 to June 2023

Line chart showing economic inactivity rates for Scotland and the United Kingdom as separate lines.

Source: Annual Population Survey, July to June datasets, ONS

Shaded areas represent 95 percent confidence intervals.

Economic Inactivity by Sex

In July 2022 to June 2023, there were an estimated 111,900 inactive men aged 16 to 24 and 97,300 inactive women aged 16 to 24 in Scotland.

The estimated inactivity rate for 16 to 24 year old men was 40.4 per cent, 3.2 percentage points (pp) higher than a year ago (37.1 per cent) and 6.9 pp higher than in July 2018 to June 2019 (33.5 per cent). While the estimated inactivity rate for 16 to 24 year old women was 35.5 per cent, 0.5 pp higher than a year ago (35.0 per cent) but 0.1 pp lower than in July 2018 to June 2019 (35.6 per cent).

The change since July 2018 to June 2019 for men aged 16 to 24 represents a statistically significant change.

Chart 7: The gap between the economic inactivity rates for men and women aged 16 to 24 has narrowed over time

Economic inactivity rate estimates for men and women aged 16 to 24 in Scotland, July 2004 to June 2005 through to July 2022 to June 2023

Line chart showing economic inactivity rates for men and women in Scotland as separate lines.

Source: Annual Population Survey, July to June datasets, ONS

Shaded areas represent 95 percent confidence intervals.

Contact

For enquiries about this publication please contact:

Labour Market Statistics,
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser
Telephone: 0131 244 6773,
E-mail: LMStats@gov.scot

For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:

Office of the Chief Statistician
E-mail: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot

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