The number of women in work has reached a 21-year high at the same time as unemployment in Scotland has fallen, new figures have revealed.
Official statistics showed there were 196,000 Scots out of work – including those not eligible for benefits – with the total down by 7,000 over the period August to October.
There was also a rise of 11,000 on the number of people in employment over the three months, with this now standing at 2,546,000 – 83,000 higher than the same period last year.
The number of women in employment has now reached 1,233,000, with the Scottish Government hailing this total as the highest since 1992.
The unemployment rate in Scotland continues to be lower than that for the UK as a whole, at 7.1% north of the border compared with 7.4%.
The employment rate is also higher in Scotland, at 72.6%, compared with an average of 72% across the UK.
Meanwhile, the number of Scots out of work and claiming jobseeker’s allowance has dropped by 2,900 from October, to a new total of 115,900 in November – 23,300 less than a year ago.
Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance – who recently led a Holyrood debate on work for women – said the “very welcome news” came in the wake of Scottish Government action to “tackle the barriers faced by women seeking employment”.
She added: “We are taking steps across all areas of government to help women progress in the workplace. This includes our CareerWISE initiative to encourage more young women to pursue a career in science, technology and engineering and encourage more women to start their own businesses.”
Finance Secretary John Swinney said the latest unemployment statistics were “another positive sign that employment in Scotland continues to increase and that Scotland’s economic recovery is ongoing”.
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said: “Every new job created in Scotland represents someone getting back into work and is to be welcomed. Today’s figures reinforce how well Scotland is doing as part of the UK.
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “The fall in unemployment for Scotland has brought some seasonal cheer with strong signs of recovery in the overall UK economic picture.
“However, the recent statistics show that gross weekly pay in Scotland is lower than the UK average and has only increased by 1.9% compared to the UK as a whole, which has increased by 2.25%.
“This gap in pay has increased since 2012 and Scottish Chambers of Commerce, alongside our network of 22 local Chambers, urge for reductions in the cost of doing business, enabling businesses to invest in upskilling their workforce and contribute to closing the pay gap.”