MSP calls for urgent action to protect jobs and livelihoods
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A NEW vision for Scotland's economy is needed to ensure the country is better prepared to weather shocks to the economy such as those currently being experienced, a Highland MSP has claimed.
Rhoda Grant, a Labour MSP for the region, made her remarks as Scotland's Labour Market statistics were published by the Scottish Government.
Mrs Grant, who is the party's employment spokesperson in Scotland, said: "Though these figures pre-date the impact of Covid-19, they demonstrate a real lack of preparedness for this pandemic.
"Scotland is standing on the precipice of another recession, but ministers have not learned the lessons of the last one. With a fragile economy and narrow employment base, Scotland's employment rate is still behind that of the UK as a whole, and worrying inequalities persist in our labour market.
"We need urgent action to protect jobs and livelihoods in the coming weeks and months. But we also need a new vision for Scotland's economy and labour market, with a renewed emphasis on creating quality manufacturing jobs, so that Scotland is better prepared to weather future shocks to the economy."
The figures show that in 2019, in Scotland, 2,663,900 people (aged 16 and over) were in employment and the employment rate (covering ages 16 to 64) was 74.8 per cent, a record high but slightly below the UK rate of 75.6 per cent.
They also reveal that for people aged 50 and over, Highland has one of the highest employment rates after Shetland (52.4 per cent) and Orkney Islands (50.3 per cent) with a rate of 46.1 per cent.
The detailed report, Scotland's Labour Market: People, Places, and Regions – Statistics from the Annual Population Survey 2019 includes breakdowns by sector and area. It can be accessed here.
