Local Area Labour Markets in Scotland: Statistics from the Annual Population Survey, 2014

Summary

• Record high employment level in Scotland in 2014 (2,558,800), the highest seen since comparable records began- driven by female employment increasing to 1,236,800.
• The proportion of working people (16-64) with SVQ level 4 or higher qualifications was 47.1%, the highest on record in Scotland, driven by:
  • The highest level of people with Degree or Professional qualification (758,700), up 62,400 since 2013.
  • The highest level of people with HNC/HND level qualifications (409,000), up 17,600 over the year.
  • The level of working people aged 16-64 with no qualifications was 139,500, the lowest seen since comparable records began in 2004.
• Graduates are faring better in the labour market. The proportion of workers in Scotland aged 25-64 who were graduates in 2014 was 33.2% - the highest since start of comparable records in 2004.
• Record number of older workers (aged 50 and over) in Scotland (787,500).
  • A 23.4% rise in employment level for 50-64 year olds (from 573,200 to 707,200), with their employment rate increasing from 61.9% to 67.4%.
  • A 95% rise in employment level for those aged 65 and over (from 41,200 to 80,300), with their employment rate increasing from 5.2% to 8.4%.
• Underemployment level in Scotland decreased by 20,200 over the year to 216,500, with the underemployment rate decreasing by 1.1 percentage points from 10.0% to 8.6%.
  • The decrease in under-employment over the year was driven by reductions in levels for both full and part-time male workers (down 10,800 and 9,400 respectively).
• The level of 16-19 year old who were NEET in 2014 was 21,000, down 8,000 over the year. This is the lowest level of NEET seen since comparable records began in 2004.
  • 8.4% of 16-19 year olds were NEET in 2014, down 2.8 percentage points over the year. The change was driven by:
    • A decrease in level the of males who were NEET, down 5,000 (3.7 percentage points) over the year, while female NEETs were down 3,000 (1.9 percentage points).
    • A decrease of 7,000 over the year in the level of 18-19 year olds who were NEET.
• Model-based Unemployment rates decreased in all of Scotland's local authorities over the year. However, the model-based unemployment rate remains higher in all local authority areas than in 2008.
  • The largest decreases over the year were seen in North Ayrshire (down 5.3 percentage points) and East Ayrshire (down 2.7 percentage points).
  • The smallest decreases over the year were seen in Aberdeen City (down 0.1 percentage point), East Dunbartonshire and Shetland Islands (both down 0.3 percentage points).