HMRC estimates for January 2024 indicate that there were 2.46 million payrolled employees in Scotland — a record high number and up by 27,000 compared with January 2023.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The record high number of payrolled employees in Scotland is welcome, however, the wider data reflects the ongoing challenges facing the UK economy, including inflationary pressures and the continuing impacts of Brexit …
“But with sectors such as hospitality and agriculture still facing enormous recruitment challenges, the UK Government’s proposed changes to immigration policy will further prevent access to the international labour market that Scotland needs for the economy to prosper.”
The HMRC data said median monthly pay for payrolled employees in Scotland was £2,359, an increase of 6.1% compared with January 2023.
Estimates sourced from the ONS Labour Force Survey for October to December 2023, compared with the quarter before, show that over the quarter the official unemployment rate in Scotland increased slightly, the employment rate increased and the inactivity rate decreased.
The unemployment rate (16 and over) in Scotland was 4.5%, up 0.1 percentage points over the quarter. Scotland’s unemployment rate was above the UK rate of 3.8%.
The employment rate — the proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in work — in Scotland was 74.4%, up 0.6 percentage points over the quarter. Scotland’s employment rate was below the UK rate of 75%.
The economic inactivity rate — the proportion of people aged 16 to 64 years who were not working and not seeking or available to work — in Scotland was 22%, down 0.8 percentage points over the quarter. Scotland’s economic inactivity rate was above the UK rate of 21.9%.