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

Employment

Overall

In July 2023 to June 2024, an estimated 312,600 people aged 16 to 24 were in employment in Scotland. This is 5,200 more than the number of 16 to 24 year olds employed in July 2022 to June 2023.

The estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 56.4 per cent in July 2023 to June 2024. This was 0.6 percentage points (pp) higher than the year before (55.8 per cent) but 2.7 pp lower than in July 2018 to June 2019 (59.1 per cent). July 2018 to June 2019 is the last data point in the July to June series before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the United Kingdom, the estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 52.6 per cent. This was 0.8 pp lower than a year ago (53.3 per cent) and 1.5 pp lower than in July 2018 to June 2019 (54.0 per cent).

The change since July 2018 to June 2019 for 16 to 24 year olds in the United Kingdom 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 with the exception of July 2019 to June 2020

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

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

Shaded areas represent 95 percent confidence intervals.

Employment by Sex

In July 2023 to June 2024, an estimated 155,400 men and 157,300 women aged 16 to 24 were in employment in Scotland.

The estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year old men was 55.7 per cent, 3.4 percentage point (pp) higher than a year ago (52.3 per cent) but 3.6 pp lower than in July 2018 to June 2019 (59.3 per cent). While the estimated employment rate for 16 to 24 year old women was 57.2 per cent, 2.1 pp lower than a year ago (59.3 per cent) and 1.7 pp lower than in July 2018 to June 2019 (58.9 per cent).

Chart 2: The employment rate for women aged 16 to 24 was generally lower than for men until July 2013 to June 2014 when it began to fluctuate but since July 2019 to June 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, July 2004 to June 2005 through to July 2023 to June 2024

Source: Annual Population Survey, July to June 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.