More than 200 jobs have been created in Scotland every day for the past year, official figures have revealed.
The number of Scots in work has increased by 75,000 over the past 12 months.
The Office for National Statistics said that over the period July to September a total of 2,547,000 people were in employment, an increase of 16,000 on the previous quarter.
But the figures also revealed there had been a small increase in unemployment. The number of people who are out of work, including those not eligible for benefits, was 199,000 in July to September – up 1,000 on the previous quarter.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “Scotland is continuing to outperform the UK on key measures of employment, unemployment and inactivity.
“This is the 10th monthly release in a row to show continued improvement in employment rates.
“Unemployment rates have fallen over the past year and the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance has fallen to its lowest level since February 2009.”
Andy Willox, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Scottish policy convener said: “With business confidence continuing to rise and more firms looking to invest, this is another sign that a sustained recovery could be under way.
“But it is by no means guaranteed.
“We must stay focused on creating the conditions which allow small businesses to do what they do best: spot opportunities, serve their communities, contribute revenues and create jobs.
“Of course, it is harder for them to do this when spiralling energy and other costs drive up overheads. Spending longer and longer trying to comply with gold-plated, confusing or inconsistent regulations doesn’t help either.
“Thus, while governments can’t create jobs, Westminster, Holyrood and local government all have a huge role to play in creating an environment in which business can.”
The Scottish unemployment rate continues to be below that for the UK as a whole, at 7.2% north of the border, compared with 7.6%. The unemployment rate among 16 to 24-year-olds in Scotland is now 20.9%, with 56.6% in work.