The Scottish Parliament's COVID-19 Recovery Committee's ongoing work has been "greatly assisted" thanks to the contributions of employees and service users of two Lanarkshire employment support organisations.
Representatives of the committee visited Routes to Work and Remploy in Airdrie as part of an inquiry into the impact of the pandemic on Scotland's labour market.
The committee inquiry focuses on "understanding the impact of the long-term sick component on economically inactive people, as well as people who have chosen early retirement".
Although employment rates have recovered since the earlier stages of the pandemic, labour market inactivity rates remain high.
The UK is the only country in the developed world where people have continued dropping out of the labour market in significant numbers.
To explore the reasons behind this, the committee participated in a round-table discussion with clients, partners and employers involved in Routes to Work.
This service helps unemployed residents in the North Lanarkshire area access employment, education and training opportunities.
The committee also held further round-table discussions with clients of Remploy, which provides employment placement services for disabled people and other groups disadvantaged in the labour market including lone parents and refugees.
Speaking after the visits, the COVID recovery committee's convener, Siobhian Brown MSP, told Lanarkshire Live : "The pandemic had a dramatic effect on Scotland’s economy and labour market.
"Although the economy has now recovered to pre-pandemic levels, economic inactivity rates remain persistently high, with North Lanarkshire estimated to have one of the highest inactivity rates in the country.
“Hearing directly from local businesses, as well as employees and service users of Routes to Work and Remploy, has greatly assisted our understanding of some of the barriers that people face when seeking to return to employment.
“Whilst employment support services like the ones the committee visited are doing great work locally, it’s important that we consider what actions the Scottish Government could take to help retain people in the labour market and encourage others back into it.
“The pandemic has accelerated changes to the way we work, from increased home working and greater opportunities to work flexibly through part-time hours or job sharing. We wanted to hear from local people whether embracing some of these opportunities may help both employers and employees rebalance the labour market, upskill the workforce and help bring down economic inactivity rates.
“Our inquiry will report in the new year and we hope its recommendations help secure a sustained social and economic recovery from the impact of the pandemic on Scotland’s workforce.”
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