Scottish Surveys Core Questions 2013

5 Core Education and Economic Questions

This chapter presents breakdowns of SSCQ data on:

• economic activity (section 5.1)
• highest achieved qualification (section 5.2)

All reported differences are statistically significant unless stated otherwise.

Economic activity

The preferred source of statistics on economic activity by detailed characteristics in Scotland is the Annual Population Survey (APS).^[39] In addition, the Labour Force Survey is used to produce headline estimates of employment and unemployment and is used to monitor the Scottish Government's Purpose Target on labour market participation.^[40]

The SSCQ figures presented here report on all adults aged 16+, whereas statistics in the APS are restricted to the working age population of 16 to 64. For the purpose of comparison, the overall employment rate in SSCQ 2013 for adults aged 16 to 64 was 68% compared to 71% for the APS. Unemployment among adults aged 16+ was 4.3% in SSCQ 2013 compared with the official estimate of 7.7% from the APS. Among young people aged 16-24, the APS reported 53% employment, while the SSCQ estimate was 50%.

A comparison of SSCQ and census findings is provided in Annex A, Table A.7.

Highest achieved qualification

The preferred source of statistics on educational level by detailed characteristics in Scotland is the Annual Population Survey (see also economic activity).

Qualifications were grouped into categories as follows:

No qualifications
Level 1: O Grade, Standard Grade or equivalent (SVQ level 1 or 2)
Level 2: Higher, A level or equivalent (SVQ Level 3)
Level 3: HNC/HND or equivalent (SVQ Level 4)
Level 4: Degree, Professional qualification (Above SVQ Level 4)
Other qualifications

A comparison of SSCQ and census findings is provided in Annex A, Table A.8.

5.1 Economic activity

Across Scotland, 55% of respondents were in employment in 2013, 40% were inactive and 4.3% were unemployed.

People in the most deprived fifth of neighbourhoods were four times more likely to be unemployed (9.0%) than those in the least deprived fifth of households (2.1%) (see Figure 17).

Unemployment levels were similar across ethnic groups and countries of birth, although people born in the rest of the UK were a little less likely to be unemployed (3.0%)) than those born in Scotland (4.4%).

Young people aged 16 to 24 were around five times more likely to be unemployed (female: 8.0%, male: 13%) than 55 to 64 year olds (female: 1.5%, male: 2.7%).

Figure 17: Proportion unemployed by deprivation, age and ethnic group

People with level 1 or higher qualifications were more than twice as likely to be in employment (58% to 72%) than people with no qualifications (27%). This is likely due to a large proportion of people with no qualifications being of pensionable age.

Table 5.1: Economic activity

	Response %			Totals
	In employment	Unemployed	Inactive	Adults	Sample
All	55.2	4.3	40.4	4,398,900	21,038
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
1: most deprived fifth of households	44.4	9.0	46.5	859,800	3,942
2	53.0	5.2	41.8	871,600	4,305
3	56.8	3.2	39.9	902,300	4,615
4	61.5	2.3	36.1	891,700	4,454
5: least deprived fifth of households	59.8	2.1	38.1	873,500	3,722
Detailed Tenure
Owned outright	36.1	1.7	62.2	1,265,100	6,894
Mortgaged	81.0	2.2	16.6	1,543,600	6,445
Social rented	35.5	9.6	54.7	950,900	4,889
Private rented	62.0	6.5	31.5	583,300	2,558
Unknown rented	33.9	8.9	57.2	46,800	222
Highest Qualification Held
No qualifications	26.6	4.4	68.9	833,600	4,453
Level 1	58.1	8.5	33.4	859,400	3,928
Level 2	61.5	4.0	34.4	745,000	3,234
Level 3	71.7	3.6	24.8	477,200	2,198
Level 4	69.9	2.2	28.0	1,219,400	5,768
Other qualification	18.9	1.9	79.2	228,500	1,293
Ethnic Group
White: Scottish	54.3	4.4	41.2	3,501,200	16,949
White: Other British	56.6	3.1	40.2	531,400	2,631
White: Polish	82.4	4.1	13.5	55,800	211
White: Other*	61.8	5.6	32.5	155,300	661
Asian**	52.2	6.0	41.6	99,800	359
All other ethnic groups***	55.6	5.8	38.6	51,300	209
Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual	55.4	4.3	40.3	4,237,300	20,178
LGB & other	56.8	8.5	34.3	65,700	292
Car Access
No car	29.5	9.0	61.4	1,090,800	5,780
1 car	54.4	3.7	41.8	1,834,300	9,200
2 cars	74.7	1.6	23.6	1,152,900	4,918
3 or more cars	76.6	1.9	21.5	320,600	1,139
Limiting Long-term Health Condition
Limiting condition	22.6	3.6	73.7	992,300	5,644
No limiting condition	64.8	4.5	30.6	3,391,000	15,318
Respondent Age and Sex
Female 16-24	50.2	8.0	41.8	312,600	981
Female 25-34	71.2	5.5	23.3	346,000	1,730
Female 35-44	72.5	4.6	23.0	363,100	1,800
Female 45-54	76.4	2.7	20.9	407,200	2,077
Female 55-64	48.0	1.5	50.4	337,900	1,920
Female 65-74	*	*	90.4	268,300	1,691
Female 75+	*	*	98.8	254,500	1,556
Male 16-24	49.4	12.8	37.4	316,200	799
Male 25-34	81.4	8.1	10.3	334,000	1,243
Male 35-44	84.1	5.2	10.4	344,300	1,410
Male 45-54	79.0	4.7	16.2	387,800	1,671
Male 55-64	59.6	2.7	37.7	324,000	1,673
Male 65-74	*	*	84.4	239,000	1,460
Male 75+	*	*	97.3	164,000	1,027

Footnotes

Ethnic Groups

* 'White: Other' includes ‘White: Irish’, ‘White: Gypsy/Traveller’ and ‘White: Other White Ethnic Group’
** 'Asian' includes the categories Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
*** 'All other ethnic groups' includes categories within the 'Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group', ‘African’, ‘Caribbean or Black’, and ‘Other Ethnic Group’ sections.

Key to education levels

Level 1 - O Grade, Standard Grade or equiv (SVQ level 1 or 2)
Level 2 - Higher, A level or equivalent (SVQ Level 3)
Level 3 - HNC/HND or equivalent (SVQ Level 4)
Level 4 - Degree, Professional qualification (Above SVQ Level 4)

5.2 Highest achieved qualification

Across Scotland, 19% of respondents reported having no qualifications, 20% level 1 (O Grade, Standard Grade or equivalent), 17% level 2 (Higher, A level or equivalent), 11% level 3 (HNC/HND or equivalent) and 28% level 4 (Degree, Professional qualification).

One in three people in the most deprived areas held no qualifications (33%), four times the proportion of people in the least deprived areas (8.1%). Conversely, one in ten (11%) of people in the most deprived areas held a degree or professional qualification, compared with nearly half of people in the least deprived areas (48%).

Similar socioeconomic comparisons were revealed by car access and tenure: people without access to a car were half as likely to hold a degree or professional qualification (15%) than the Scottish average (28%). For social tenants this dropped to a quarter (7%) of the Scottish average.

More than half of people who identified in an ethnic group other than white held degrees or professional qualifications (Asian: 51%, All other ethnic groups: 52%), around double the Scottish average.

Similarly, more than half of respondents born outside the EU held degrees or professional qualifications (53%), followed by rest of EU and rest of UK born (both 45%) and then born in Scotland (23%).

Figure 18: Percentage of adults with degrees or professional qualifications by age, deprivation, country of birth and current economic activity

Qualifications were strongly age dependent, with large proportions of older people holding low or no qualifications. This influences the lower numbers of qualifications found among people born in Scotland and identifying as 'White: Scottish', who include larger numbers of older respondents.

Table 5.2: Highest achieved qualification

	Response %						Totals
	No qualifications	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Other qualification	Adults	Sample
All	19.0	19.5	16.9	10.8	27.7	5.2	4,398,900	21,038
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
1: most deprived fifth of households	32.8	25.7	14.0	8.9	11.2	6.0	859,800	3,942
2	22.4	23.3	18.1	10.5	18.6	6.3	871,600	4,305
3	18.9	19.7	18.4	11.8	25.4	5.3	902,300	4,615
4	12.9	17.1	16.6	12.7	35.1	5.1	891,700	4,454
5: least deprived fifth of households	8.1	12.0	17.5	10.3	48.0	3.3	873,500	3,722
Detailed Tenure
Owned outright	22.6	14.2	14.2	9.2	29.9	9.2	1,265,100	6,894
Mortgaged	8.4	19.6	20.1	13.5	36.3	1.7	1,543,600	6,445
Social rented	35.1	28.3	12.5	7.9	7.0	7.6	950,900	4,889
Private rented	11.1	17.4	21.6	12.2	34.6	2.3	583,300	2,558
Unknown rented	38.4	14.0	17.8	8.0	19.4	2.3	46,800	222
Respondent Economic Activity
In employment	9.1	20.6	18.9	14.1	35.1	1.8	2,427,100	10,762
Unemployed	19.4	38.3	15.6	9.0	13.9	2.3	190,200	804
Inactive	32.3	16.2	14.4	6.6	19.2	10.2	1,778,200	9,457
Ethnic Group
White: Scottish	20.5	21.0	17.5	11.4	23.2	5.8	3,501,200	16,949
White: Other British	12.0	15.4	16.0	9.1	43.3	3.3	531,400	2,631
White: Polish	17.9	16.4	14.9	11.4	34.7	1.3	55,800	211
White: Other*	12.2	11.0	14.1	7.1	50.8	2.3	155,300	661
Asian**	17.3	10.8	8.9	8.4	51.4	2.2	99,800	359
All other ethnic groups***	13.9	11.7	11.1	8.1	51.5	1.0	51,300	209
Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual	18.8	19.7	16.9	10.8	27.8	5.2	4,237,300	20,178
LGB & other	10.1	14.4	25.8	13.9	30.1	4.9	65,700	292
Car Access
No car	33.5	20.6	14.6	7.1	14.5	8.1	1,090,800	5,780
1 car	18.7	20.0	16.3	10.8	27.5	6.0	1,834,300	9,200
2 cars	8.7	16.9	18.9	13.2	39.8	2.2	1,152,900	4,918
3 or more cars	7.6	22.9	21.3	15.5	31.0	1.5	320,600	1,139
Limiting Long-term Health Condition
Limiting condition	36.5	17.1	11.7	8.1	16.9	9.0	992,300	5,644
No limiting condition	13.8	20.3	18.5	11.7	30.9	4.1	3,391,000	15,318
Respondent Age and Sex
Female 16-24	5.3	30.1	36.0	11.8	14.7	1.4	312,600	981
Female 25-34	7.2	18.0	15.5	16.3	41.8	0.8	346,000	1,730
Female 35-44	8.8	22.3	14.4	13.1	39.4	1.4	363,100	1,800
Female 45-54	14.7	25.1	13.8	13.4	30.7	1.8	407,200	2,077
Female 55-64	25.5	16.1	13.5	9.2	28.1	7.1	337,900	1,920
Female 65-74	39.0	10.1	9.1	4.0	20.1	17.1	268,300	1,691
Female 75+	48.8	6.8	5.1	5.1	13.5	18.3	254,500	1,556
Male 16-24	9.1	28.7	36.0	12.0	10.7	1.8	316,200	799
Male 25-34	7.9	21.5	18.2	13.5	36.9	1.3	334,000	1,243
Male 35-44	10.0	21.4	17.9	14.5	34.8	0.8	344,300	1,410
Male 45-54	18.5	23.8	14.9	11.2	28.6	2.3	387,800	1,671
Male 55-64	22.2	17.0	17.5	8.0	29.3	5.9	324,000	1,673
Male 65-74	35.1	11.0	9.4	7.5	23.9	12.2	239,000	1,460
Male 75+	41.3	6.9	8.9	4.6	23.2	13.5	164,000	1,027

Footnotes

Key to education levels

Level 1 - O Grade, Standard Grade or equiv (SVQ level 1 or 2)
Level 2 - Higher, A level or equivalent (SVQ Level 3)
Level 3 - HNC/HND or equivalent (SVQ Level 4)
Level 4 - Degree, Professional qualification (Above SVQ Level 4)

Ethnic Groups

* 'White: Other' includes ‘White: Irish’, ‘White: Gypsy/Traveller’ and ‘White: Other White Ethnic Group’
** 'Asian' includes the categories Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
*** 'All other ethnic groups' includes categories within the 'Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group', ‘African’, ‘Caribbean or Black’, and ‘Other Ethnic Group’ sections.