SCOTTISH YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AT HIGHEST SINCE 2005

Unemployment continues to fall
Youth employment in Scotland is at its highest since 2005.
Official statistics released today by the ONS show youth employment grew by 20,000 in April-June this year, reaching 363,000 – the highest figure recorded since the same period ten years ago.
Youth unemployment levels are also down by 7,000 to reach a rate of 14 per cent – the lowest since April-June 2008.
The labour market statistics also show the unemployment level and rate down over the quarter and the year, with a fall of 13,000 over the quarter bringing the rate down 0.4 percentage points to 5.6 per cent.
The statistics were published ahead of a visit by Fair Work, Skills and Training Secretary Roseanna Cunningham to Coast and Glen Fishboxes, which is a small enterprise run by a local former fisherman and supplies over 100 local restaurants as well as delivering ‘Fishboxes’ to desks and doors nationwide.
Ms Cunningham said:
“Once again we are seeing youth employment rising in Scotland – indeed, reaching its highest since 2005 – and youth unemployment falling. In the three months between April and June 2015 20,000 young people got jobs – 20,000 young people in work who weren’t before.
“We now have the highest youth employment level since 2005 and the lowest youth unemployment level and rate since 2008, with overall unemployment also down.
“These are encouraging signs of an improving economic landscape in Scotland, following on from official statistics last month showing the economy grew by 0.6 per cent in the first three months of this year.
“Our priority is to maintain that progress and tackle those areas where we need to see further improvement. For example, there was a slight fall in all-age employment and a small rise in economic inactivity – although we continue to outperform the rest of the UK in these measures.
“We will continue to work with employers and all other interested parties to ensure more of our young men and women get in to work and stay in work, in line with our ambitions outlined in the Youth Employment Strategy.
“As our economy continues to grow, we will use every power we currently have at our disposal to grow the economy even further, increase employment, lower unemployment and remove barriers to the labour market.”