Labour Market Trends: September 2024
Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity trends, sourced from the Labour Force Survey for Scotland and the UK.
Summary of labour market statistics
Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity estimates are presented for May to July 2024, compared with the quarter before (February to April 2024) and compared with the year before (May to July 2023).
Information are obtained from a sample survey and are therefore subject to some error.
Comparisons with the latest data over the quarter have been included within the commentary of this publication but caution in their use is advised by ONS.
Table 1A: Labour market rates, Scotland and UK, May to July 2024
| Statistic | Headline rate | Confidence interval of rate | Change on quarter | Confidence interval of change on quarter | Change on year | Confidence interval of change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment in Scotland [note 1] |
74.2% | ± 2.0 pp | 1.2 pp | ± 2.8 pp | -0.5 pp | ± 3.0 pp |
| Employment in the UK [note 1] | 74.8% | ± 0.5 pp | 0.5 pp | ± 0.5 pp | -0.1 pp | ± 0.8 pp |
| Unemployment in Scotland [note 2] | 4.2% | ± 1.0 pp | -0.5 pp | ± 1.4 pp | -0.1 pp | ± 1.5 pp |
| Unemployment in the UK [note 2] |
4.1% | ± 0.3 pp | -0.2 pp | ± 0.3 pp | -0.2 pp | ± 0.5 pp |
| Economic Inactivity in Scotland [note 1] |
22.3% | ± 1.9 pp | -0.8 pp | ± 2.6 pp | 0.5 pp | ± 2.7 pp |
| Economic Inactivity in the UK [note 1] | 21.9% | ± 0.5 pp | -0.3 pp | ± 0.5 pp | 0.3 pp | ± 0.8 pp |
Source: Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted, ONS
Note 1: Rates all persons aged 16 to 64; denominator all persons aged 16 to 64.
Note 2: Rates all persons aged 16 and over; denominator all economically active persons aged 16 and over.
Note 3: pp refers to percentage points
Table 1B: Labour market levels, Scotland and UK, May to July 2024
| Statistic | Headline level | Confidence interval of level | Change on quarter | Confidence interval of change on quarter | Change on year | Confidence interval of change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment in Scotland [note 1] |
2,675,000 | ± 72,000 | 62,000 | ± 97,000 | 11,000 | ± 102,000 |
| Employment in the UK [note 1] | 33,232,000 | ± 247,000 | 265,000 | ± 219,000 | 150,000 | ± 360,000 |
| Unemployment in Scotland [note 1] | 118,000 | ± 28,000 | -11,000 | ± 39,000 | -3,000 | ± 42,000 |
| Unemployment in the UK [note 1] |
1,437,000 | ± 104,000 | -74,000 | ± 117,000 | -60,000 | ± 159,000 |
| Economic Inactivity in Scotland [note 2] |
767,000 | ± 82,000 | -29,000 | ± 112,000 | 18,000 | ± 117,000 |
| Economic Inactivity in the UK [note 2] | 9,298,000 | ± 221,000 | -136,000 | ± 199,000 | 160,000 | ± 324,000 |
Source: Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted, ONS
Note 1: All persons aged 16 and over.
Note 2: All persons aged 16 to 64.
Note 3: Level estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand.
Infographic summary of Labour Force Survey Statistics
This infographic summary contains estimates from Table 1A above, chart 6 from Employment estimates, chart 8 from Unemployment estimates, and chart 10 from Economic Inactivity estimates.
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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