The employment and training implications of the Single European Market

Integration into a wider European economy has been an on-going process since the UK first joined the European Community (EC). Although '1992' has a particular salience, representing as it does the date for the completion of the Single European Market (SEM), the Scottish and UK economies have already greatly expanded their trade links with the EC. The UK's imports from the EC rose from 43 per cent of total imports in 1979 to 52 per cent in 1988. The corresponding figures for exports to the EC are 42 per cent and 50 per cent. Within this, it is estimated that over 55 per cent of Scotland's exports currently go to the EC. This paper tries to assess the impact of the completion of the SEM on employment and training in Scotland. In making this asessment we draw on a range of existing studies in an attempt to evaluate broader economic impacts and training implications flowing directly from the SEM. In addition, just under 250 employers drawn from a range of sectors, size bands and locations were interviewed to obtain their views on these issues