According to recently released statistics, the number of people working in Scotland has increased by nearly 89,000 since the previous count was taken.
According to official statistics, there was a big drop in the number of “economically inactive” people between October and December of 2022.
They give the impression that they are deciding to participate in the labour force, which would be consistent with the employment rate reaching a record high of 76.6 percent.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) discovered that earnings are increasing at a rate that is the quickest it has been in over 20 years.
However, it is still not sufficient to keep up with the rising cost of living.
By the end of 2022, there should be almost 2.7 million people in Scotland who are over 16 and employed, according to the findings of an ONS Labor force study.
That is an increase of 89,000 units compared to the same time period in 2021.
It would appear that a significant portion of those had previously been categorized by the ONS as being “economically inactive.”
They include students, those who are caring for their families, and those who have been ill for a long time. It significantly rose following the pandemic.
Despite this, there are more people than ever looking for jobs or making the transition into labour. This is large because it’s simple to find work even while unemployment rates are still high.
58,000 of these people have presented themselves as available for work in the time period covering the last three months of 2021.
At the end of the previous year, there were 717,000 people (or 20.8% of people aged 16-64) who did not participate in any economic activity.
In addition, there has been a reduction in the number of people who are currently without jobs.
Between October and December of 2022, the unemployment rate for people over the age of 16 was approximately 93,000 (3.3%), which was approximately 19,000 fewer than it had been during the same time period in 2021.
‘Turbulent economic circumstances’
The high employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 and for women is something to be applauded, according to the Minister of Employment, Richard Lochhead.
“Despite the turbulent economic circumstances, including the continued impact of Brexit, high inflation, and the cost of living crisis,” he said, “the employment rate in Scotland remains high.”
Mr Lochhead also mentioned that certain industries continued to have difficulty recruiting workers.
He said: “The Scottish government is doing everything in its power to alleviate them by collaborating with various businesses and organizations.
“The government of the United Kingdom holds key powers over migration, visas, and key parts of employment law, and I repeat my calls for ministers in the United Kingdom to establish a joint taskforce on labor market shortages.”
According to Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, the statistics demonstrate that Scotland’s labour market is robust “despite economic headwinds.”
He said, “We cannot be complacent, and the prime minister has been clear on the priorities of the UK government, which are to halve inflation, grow the economy, and reduce debt.” “We cannot be complacent.”
“The cost of living will go down, people will have more financial security, and sustainable long-term growth will be achieved.
The Inverness and Cromarty Firth and the Firth of Forth now have freeport status, which will promote regeneration for the good of everyone in Scotland. “To deliver more high-quality jobs and level up across Scotland, the UK government is investing almost £2.3 billion in partnership with regional organizations,” according to the BBC. “This will level up across Scotland.”
One industry that is actively looking for new employees is the renewable energy sector.
David Bowie, who formerly worked at the Cruachan power station in Argyll and Bute, is now teaching young people how to climb pylons as a climbing instructor for Scottish Power.
Mr Bowie, who has worked for the company for the past four decades, noted that the pace of change in the industry is accelerating.
He stated that “we are all contributing to very real change,” a change that is visible throughout the country as a result of the substantial investments that are being made in new forms of clean generation for the future.
