Scottish jobless total rises by 14,000

Unemployment in Scotland rose by 14,000 in the final three months of last year to stand at 124,000, according to the latest official data.

The increase took the unemployment rate from 4 per cent to 4.5 per cent - above the UK rate of 4.4 per cent.

The number of Scots in work fell by 30,000, while the number across the UK was up by 88,000.

The total number in work in Scotland now stands at 2,534,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.

However, wages grew by an average of 2.5 per cent - up from 2.4 per cent the previous month - although the increase remained below inflation.

Prof Graeme Roy, director of the Fraser of Allander economic institute, said the latest figures showed “somewhat of a fall-back in Scotland’s labour market performance”.

He said: “This weakening in the labour market is perhaps not that surprising given the relatively fragile performance of the Scottish economy in recent times.

“It will be interesting to see if today’s figures are a blip or part of a shift in trend.

“That being said, today’s employment and unemployment statistics need to be put in a longer-term context.

“Unemployment remains relatively low by historical standards and there are still 10,000 fewer people unemployed in Scotland than this time last year.”

Meanwhile, latest official data also released today showed that the UK has seen the strongest two quarters of productivity growth since the recession of 2008.

Output per hour rose 0.8 per cent in the three months to December, the ONS said. It follows growth of 0.9 per cent in the previous period.

There was also a better than expected rise in wages. Excluding bonuses, earnings rose by 2.5 per cent year-on-year.