Overview of the labour market March 2003

The latest figures on the labour market in Scotland are summarised. Over the last quarter, Labour Force Survey (LFS) data showed that employment increased by 9 thousand in the three months to November 2002, to 2,415 thousand - up 0.4 percent on the previous quarter level. Over the year to November 2002, employment increased by 24 thousand. The employment rate - as a percentage of the working age population in employment - increased to 74.5 per cent, up 0.4 percentage points on the previous quarter. The paper provides an account of quarterly LFS employment over a two-year period to November 2002