Labour Market Statistics Published for Scotland - August 2006

Labour Force Survey data for Scotland indicate that the trend in the employment rate may be starting to decrease, but the rate in the latest period is not significantly different from a year ago. The trend in the unemployment rate may be levelling off after decreasing, and the rate in the latest period is unchanged from a year ago.

Data for the three months to June 2006 show the seasonally adjusted employment rate at 74.8 per cent, down 0.1 percentage point on a year earlier. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent, unchanged on a year earlier.

The claimant count was up in the year to July 2006.