FSB East of Scotland celebrates business resilience as employment figures rise

New figures published today show that Scottish unemployment decreased to 3.9% in the three months to June 2017, while employment also increased by 1.1% to 75.2% over the same period.

Andy Willox, FSB’s Scottish policy convenor, said: “Today’s statistics highlight the resilience of the Scottish business community. Despite low business confidence and tightening profit margins, smaller firms are continuing to deliver new jobs and opportunities.”

New ONS figures published today also reveal that the number of non-UK EU citizens working in the UK increased by 126,000 between 2016 and 2017.

Andy added: “This new research reaffirms the important role EU citizens play in the Scottish labour market – the skills European workers bring to Scottish firms are vital to future business growth. Securing their right to remain in the UK is a top priority for the economy and requires clarification as soon as possible.”