The tally of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance reached 136,000 north of the Border in November, an increase of 42,400 from the same month last year. The UK total fell by 6300 to 1.63 million from October to November.
Ministers pointed to figures using the International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure of unemployment, which counts people not eligible for benefit, and said that unemployment in Scotland had fallen for the first time since summer 2008.
The number out of work dropped by 2000 to 187,000 in the latest quarter, although the figure is still 52,000 higher than this time last year, according to the ILO figures published by the Office for National Statistics.
The figures sparked a war of words between SNP and Labour, which called on the SNP to reinstate the Glasgow Airport Rail Link to combat unemployment.
Labour MSP David Whitton said: “The economy should still be a matter of real concern to everybody in the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government needs to boost its efforts to help people into work.
“The SNP could do much more with the extra £1 billion in their budget to support jobs. Ministers could make an immediate contribution to employment by reversing their decision to cancel the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.”
But Scottish Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said the figures showed a rise in employment and a fall in economic inactivity as the labour market in Scotland continued to outperform the rest of the UK.
He said: “The first fall in unemployment in Scotland since July 2008 is significant good news.
“With signs of recovery still tentative, now is the time to redouble efforts and capitalise on any competitive angle that we can identify. And it is precisely the wrong time for the UK Government to withdraw its stimulus package.”
Youth unemployment across the UK reached a record high as 952,000 between the ages of 16 and 24 were out of work in the three months to October.
Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy announced that 300 more jobs for young people and those who are long-term unemployed in Scotland are to be created through the Future Jobs Fund.
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