AROUND 72 000 people were in employment last month than in the same period last year, figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown.
Benefit claims decreased in June 2022 with figures showing 110 600 claims for universal credit and jobseekers allowance – a decrease of 4400 on the previous month.
The Scottish Government said the figures show the economy is “resilient” as the number of people going into employment continued to increase.
The percentage of people in employment has risen slightly with stats showing 75.4% of over-16s in Scotland were in employment from March to May 2022 compared to 74.8% in the previous quarter from December 2021 to February 2022.
Scottish Government public finance minister Tom Arthur said: “The Scottish economy still shows signs of resilience with the employment rate increasing by 0.6 percentage points over the quarter.
“While today’s figures continue to show recovery in Scotland’s labour market, Scotland continues to face economic challenges with the rising cost of living, the continued impact of Brexit and recovery from the effects of the pandemic and the economic consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
However, there has also been a slight increase in the number of people in Scotland who are unemployed.
Figures show a slight increase in unemployment levels in those over 16 from 3.4% from December 2021 to February 2022 to 3.5% between March and May 2022.
Median monthly wages however were on the rise showing a 5.6% increase to £2126 in June 2022 compared to just under £2000 per month on the same period last year.
Arthur added: ““The Scottish Government is firmly focused on delivering the ambitious National Strategy for Economic Transformation which will help build an economy of secure, sustainable and satisfying jobs.
“A key part of this strategy is to provide people with the skills they need to gain new opportunities and ensure new and current businesses are supported in investing in innovative ideas that could lead to new industries and quality jobs across the country.”
