A total of 18,826 people were claiming Universal Credit (UC) in the Highland Council area on August 12, down from 19,009 a month earlier, new figures supplied by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the region have revealed.
DWP customer service leader Izabela Fabia also revealed the latest total for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey UK parliamentary constituency, with the figure dropping to 8,918 from 8,984 previously.
The statistics include all people claiming UC not just those unemployed.
On the front line of filling jobs
Ms Fabia said Jobcentre staff in the north were ramping up their efforts to fill local vacancies, adding: “We have a number of new front line work coaches supporting people looking for work across Inverness and Ross-shire, including helping them pivot into new sectors.”
DWP employer and partnership manager Paul Walsh said the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme, aimed at creating new jobs for 16-to-24-year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment, was a strong focus of work for the department’s staff in Aberdeen just now.
Mr Walsh added: “We have a number of different employers attending Aberdeen Jobcentre on a weekly basis who are offering job interviews, mentoring sessions and providing feedback to support customers.
“Employers attending have come from a variety of different sectors including hospitality and retail as well as construction.
“This is all very positive and shows the economy within Aberdeen is improving with new opportunities arising as we move out of restrictions.”
Unemployment down, employment up
Scotland’s unemployment rate dropped slightly in the last quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The jobless rate for Scots aged 16 and over between May and July was 4.3%, a 0.1% drop on the previous quarter.
This was below the UK-wide unemployment rate of 4.6% for over-16s.
Meanwhile, the Scottish employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 rose to 74.1%, a 0.2% increase on the previous quarter.
The UK-wide employment rate over the period for that age group was 75.2%, up 0.5% on the previous three months.
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There were 2,533 million people aged 16 to 64 in employment between May and July in Scotland, while 117,000 people in that age range were unemployed.
Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Separate HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) early estimates… show 9,000 more payrolled employees in August than July 2021, however, this is 25,000 fewer payrolled employees compared with February 2020, which reflects our gradual ongoing economic recovery from the pandemic.”
‘Encouraging signs’
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said the ONSÂ figures offered “encouraging” signs, adding: “As we recover from the pandemic, we will continue to do all we can to get people back into work, support businesses and see the economy flourish again.”
According to Kitty Ussher, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, the UK economy is now “well-prepared for the end of furlough, with unemployment demonstrating a clear downward trend and the highest level of vacancies in the economy since records began”.