Record High In Employment Figures

21 January 2015, 10:01 | Updated: 21 January 2015, 10:03

Employment in Scotland has reached a new record high, with the number of adults in work now 50,000 more than it was last year.

The increase in employment - which is the equivalent of almost 1,000 Scots a week finding work - was hailed by the Scottish Government as the fastest annual growth since 2007.

While the number employed rose to 2,612,000 in the period September to November last year, unemployment also increased by 7,000 over the quarter to reach 158,000.

That total is however still 20,000 less than it was in the same three months of 2013.

Scotland continues to have a higher employment rate and a lower unemployment rate that the UK as a whole.

North of the border 74.1% of the population are in work and 5.7% are jobless, compared with 73% and 5.8% respectively.

The latest official figures showed 85,000 Scots were out of work and claiming job seeker's allowance in December, a drop of 2,100 on the previous month and 28,2000 lower than December 2013.