Unemployment Scotland: the rate, the trend and your council
The latest official rate, what it actually counts, how it has moved since 2008, and the estimate for every council in Scotland.
By Graeme · Published 29 October 2026 · 5 min read
Last updated · Figures checked
Quick answer · Scotland unemployment rate, June to August 2026
4.3%aged 16 and over
About 119,000 people. The UK rate for the same months was 4.7%. Scotland's rate is up 0.6 points on a year earlier.
- UK rate
- 4.7%
- Scotland employment rate, 16 to 64
- 74.0%
- Youth unemployment, 16 to 24
- 14.3% (July 2025 to June 2026)
- Highest council
- Glasgow, 7.0%
June to August 2026, published 20 October 2026Source Office for National Statistics
On this page
Scotland's unemployment rate was 4.3% in June to August 2026, against 4.7% for the UK. That's about 119,000 people who want a job and are looking for one. It's up 0.6 points on a year earlier, and the figures have been jumpy all year.
Scotland unemployment rate
The headline comes from the Labour Force Survey. It counts people aged 16 and over who don't have a job, have looked for one in the last four weeks and could start within two weeks. The rate is that number as a share of everyone who is either working or looking.
Each figure covers three months. The latest, published on 20 October 2026, is for June to August 2026. It's down from 5.1% in May to July. The next figures are due on 17 November 2026.
2026 so far
Scotland unemployment rate, rolling three months
| Months | Rate |
|---|---|
| January to March | 4.4% |
| February to April | 4.4% |
| March to May | 4.7% |
| April to June | 5.1% |
| May to July | 5.1% |
| June to August | 4.3% |
The trend since 2008
To compare like with like, the table below uses June to August in each year. Unemployment climbed after the 2008 crash to 8.5% in 2010 and was back under 5% by 2016. The lowest point here is 3.3% in 2022.
June to August each year
Unemployment and employment in Scotland
| Year | Unemployment rate | Employment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4.6% | 73.8% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | 70.4% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | 70.7% |
| 2014 | 5.7% | 73.8% |
| 2016 | 4.8% | 73.7% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | 74.9% |
| 2020 | 4.3% | 73.5% |
| 2022 | 3.3% | 75.0% |
| 2024 | 3.9% | 73.4% |
| 2025 | 3.7% | 74.4% |
| 2026 | 4.3% | 74.0% |
Scotland employment rate
74.0% of people aged 16 to 64 in Scotland were in work in June to August 2026, against 75.3% across the UK. Scotland's figure is down 0.4 points on a year earlier.
Another 22.6% of that age group were neither working nor looking for work, against 20.9% for the UK. That includes students, carers, people who are long term sick and people who've retired early. They aren't counted as unemployed, which is one reason a low unemployment rate doesn't always mean a strong jobs market.
Youth unemployment Scotland
For young people the monthly survey is too small, so the better figure is the Annual Population Survey, which pools a year of interviews. For July 2025 to June 2026, 14.3% of 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland who were working or looking for work were unemployed. That's about 49,700 young people. The UK figure was 14.0%.
The Scottish figure has a margin of error of about 2.6 points either way, so Scotland and the UK are effectively level. And a lot of 16 to 24 year olds are in full time education and not looking for work, so they aren't in the rate at all. 53.1% of the whole age group had a job.
Unemployment by council
also estimates an unemployment rate for every council, combining the survey with claimant figures so that small areas are less erratic. Glasgow is highest at 7.0%, then Dundee at 5.9%. Shetland is lowest at 2.2%. On the same survey, Scotland as a whole was 4.0% and the UK 4.4%.
July 2025 to June 2026
Unemployment rate by council
| Council | Rate | Margin | Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 7.0% | ± 1.6 | 22,500 |
| Dundee | 5.9% | ± 1.7 | 4,400 |
| Orkney | 5.5% | ± 3.9 | 100 |
| Aberdeen | 4.7% | ± 1.5 | 5,900 |
| East Ayrshire | 4.5% | ± 1.4 | 2,600 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 4.5% | ± 1.4 | 2,000 |
| Inverclyde | 4.2% | ± 1.5 | 1,600 |
| Fife | 4.2% | ± 1.1 | 7,700 |
| South Lanarkshire | 4.0% | ± 1.1 | 6,400 |
| North Ayrshire | 3.9% | ± 1.2 | 2,500 |
| North Lanarkshire | 3.9% | ± 1.1 | 6,700 |
| Renfrewshire | 3.8% | ± 1.1 | 3,300 |
| Angus | 3.7% | ± 1.2 | 2,200 |
| South Ayrshire | 3.6% | ± 1.1 | 1,900 |
| Edinburgh | 3.6% | ± 1.0 | 10,900 |
| Falkirk | 3.4% | ± 1.0 | 2,900 |
| Stirling | 3.4% | ± 1.1 | 1,700 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 3.4% | ± 1.1 | 1,700 |
| Midlothian | 3.3% | ± 1.2 | 1,600 |
| Argyll and Bute | 3.3% | ± 1.2 | 1,300 |
| Clackmannanshire | 3.2% | ± 1.2 | 900 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 3.2% | ± 1.1 | 2,500 |
| East Lothian | 3.1% | ± 1.1 | 1,800 |
| Highland | 3.1% | ± 1.2 | 3,700 |
| Moray | 3.0% | ± 1.0 | 1,600 |
| Scottish Borders | 3.0% | ± 1.0 | 1,800 |
| East Renfrewshire | 2.9% | ± 1.0 | 1,400 |
| West Lothian | 2.9% | ± 0.9 | 3,200 |
| Aberdeenshire | 2.8% | ± 0.9 | 4,100 |
| Perth and Kinross | 2.8% | ± 0.9 | 2,400 |
| Western Isles | 2.3% | ± 1.3 | 200 |
| Shetland | 2.2% | ± 1.9 | 300 |
For Glasgow's longer story, the Glasgow employment rate chart goes back to 2004.
The claimant count
A quicker, rougher measure is the : people claiming benefits because they're out of work, mainly claimants who are expected to look for a job. In September 2026 that was 108,760 people in Scotland, 3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64, against 3.9% across the UK.
It isn't the same as unemployment. Some people out of work don't claim, and some people who claim are working a few hours. The Glasgow claimant count chart shows how the city compares since 2000.
How much to trust the figures
The Labour Force Survey had a hard few years as fewer people took part. says its estimates from January to March 2025 onwards include the full effect of the fixes, but some volatility remains, especially for smaller breakdowns like Scotland on its own. A staffing error in May 2026 also cut telephone interviewing for a while. says it had minimal impact on the headline figures.
If you're out of work and money has run out, a crisis grant from your council can help with essentials. And if you're weighing up a job offer, the minimum wage in Scotland guide shows what it leaves you after tax.
Weighing up a job?
Put in the salary and see what you'd take home each month under Scottish income tax.
Take home pay calculator
