Number of Scots in work reaches record high

Scotland's jobless total has dropped to a near historic low. Picture: John Devlin

Scotland's economic recovery enjoyed a fresh boost today as employment reached a record high of 2.65 million, while the jobless total dropped to a near historic low.

Unemployment fell by a massive 13,000 between April and June this year to reach 107,000, a rate of 3.9 per cent, official figures have revealed. The picture also looks rosy across the UK where the number of people in work rose by 125,000 to 32.07 million in the three months to June, with the employment rate climbing by 0.3 per cent to a record 75.1 per cent.

The jobless rate UK-wide has also reached a 42-year low. Scottish Secretary David Mundell welcomed the Scottish figures which show that economic activity is also rising. He said: “It is good news that Scotland’s employment has reached a record high.

“Unemployment is at a near historic low, at 3.9 per cent, which is a trend I hope to see continue.  "The UK Government will continue to work to strengthen Scotland’s economy, and I encourage the Scottish Government to continue to use their economic levers to increase Scotland’s prosperity.”