Labour Market Statistics for Scotland by Ethnicity, January to December 2021

Introduction

This publication expands the ethnic group section of Scotland's Labour Market: People, Places and Regions – Protected Characteristics released on 21 September 2022.

In the earlier publication, estimates for Scotland showed that over the year, in both the white and minority ethnic groups:

• the employment rate decreased
• the unemployment rate decreased
• the economic inactivity rate increased

However, the percentage point (pp) change in the minority ethnic groups was larger than the pp change in the white groups for all three labour market indicators.

Compared to the white groups, the minority ethnic groups had:

• a lower employment rate (minority ethnic group: 62.1 per cent; white groups: 73.9 per cent)
• a higher inactivity rate (minority ethnic group: 33.5 per cent; white groups: 23.2 per cent)
• a higher unemployment rate (minority ethnic group: 6.5 per cent; white groups: 3.8 per cent)

The estimate of the minority ethnic unemployment rate is based on a small sample size and should be used with caution.