FSB in Scotland on New Job and Apprenticeship Figures
New official statistics published show unemployment in Scotland remained unchanged between February and April. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show Scotland’s unemployment rate was 4.3% over the three month period, the same as the previous quarter.
Andrew McRae, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Scotland Policy Chair, said: “While a static unemployment rate might not sound interesting, we must remember the thousands of firms up and down the country working hard to sustain local economies. North of the border, small and medium sized businesses support more than half of all private sector jobs.”
New figures also published today show that Scotland’s apprenticeship target has also been met – with more than 27,000 apprenticeships created in 2017/18. The Scottish Government’s has committed to increase apprenticeship starts to 30,000 by 2020.
Andrew McRae said: “Every smaller business that takes on apprentices deserves some credit for these impressive figures.
“Apprenticeships are a great way for a business to grow talent and fill skills gaps. We believe that extra funding for adult apprentice training is one way we could encourage more Scottish smaller firms to go down this path.”
