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Publication - Statistics

Scotland's Labour Market: People, Places and Regions – Protected Characteristics. Statistics from the Annual Population Survey 2021

Published
21 September 2022
Directorate
Chief Economist Directorate
Topic
Economy, Work and skills
ISBN
9781804359716

Summary publication of results from the ONS Annual Population Survey January to December 2021, presenting analysis on the labour market by protected characteristics including age, sex, disability and ethnicity.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Age and Sex

More information about estimates of 16 to 24 year olds is available in the About this publication section.

Employment

In 2021, the employment rate for men was higher than for women in all age groups, except those aged 16 to 24.

For both men and women, the employment rate was lowest for those aged 16 to 24. The highest employment rates for men and women were for those aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 49.

Chart 15: Employment rates for 16 to 64 year olds by sex and age group, Scotland, 2021
Bar chart showing the employment rates by sex and age group for 2021, Scotland

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December 2021, ONS

Unemployment

In 2021, the unemployment rate for men was higher than for women in all age groups, except those aged 25 to 34. However, the estimates for 35 to 49 year old women and men and women aged 25 to 34 are based on small sample sizes. They may be less precise and users should be cautious when quoting them.

For both men and women, the unemployment rate was highest for those aged 16 to 24.

Chart 16: Unemployment rates for those aged 16 years and over by sex and age group, Scotland, 2021
Bar chart showing the unemployment rates by sex and age group for 2021, Scotland

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December 2021, ONS

Note: A shaded background indicates estimates are based on a small sample size. This may result in less precise estimates, which should be used with caution.

Economic Inactivity

In 2021, the inactivity rate for men was lower than for women in all age groups, except those aged 16 to 24.

For men and women, the inactivity rate was highest for those aged 16 to 24 followed by those aged 50 to 64.

Chart 17: Economic inactivity rates for 16 to 64 year olds by sex and age group, Scotland, 2021
Bar chart showing the economic inactivity rates by sex and age group for 2021, Scotland

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December 2021, ONS

Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)

Estimates for women aged 16 to 24 who were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2020 and 2021 are based on small sample sizes and should be used with caution.

In 2021, 11.5 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 years were NEET. This is lower than a year ago (12.4 per cent) but is still higher than the proportion of 10.3 per cent in 2019 (pre-pandemic).

The proportion of 16 to 24 year olds who are NEET has typically been higher for women than men. However, the proportion of men aged 16 to 24 who are NEET has been higher than the proportion for women since 2019.

Chart 18: Proportion of 16 to 24 year olds who are not in employment, education or training ( NEET) by sex, Scotland, 2004 to 2021
Line chart showing the proportion of men and women aged 16 to 24 who are not in employment, education or training for years 2004 to 2021, Scotland

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December datasets, ONS

Contact

Email: lmstats@gov.scot

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