Rural Scotland: Key Results from the Employers Skill Survey

• There are around 240,000 employees in Rural Scotland
• In Rural Scotland, employees tend to be concentrated in occupations that typically require lower levels of skills and qualifications
• Geographic location was identified by rural employers as a key reason to explain low numbers of job applicants
• The vacancy rate is higher across rural areas
• Rural businesses are less likely to recruit employees from FE or HE

Background to the Survey

Futureskills Scotland’s Employers Skill Survey 2003 was undertaken between May and July 2003 and involved interviews with over 3,000 workplaces, including 937 in rural areas. All figures refer to the 2003 Scottish Employers Skill Survey unless otherwise stated. The results presented are representative of the economy as a whole, not only the workplaces interviewed. This factsheet defines Rural Scotland as the Highlands and Islands, Dumfries and Galloway, and the Scottish Borders.

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