SCOTLAND’S exports to the EU support 134,000 jobs, with oil, whisky and fish the sectors most reliant on trade with the continent, according to new economic research.
The Fraser of Allander Institute at Strathclyde University calculated the number based on £12.3bn of exports from Scotland into Europe in 2015.
The EU trade represented 40 per cent of Scotland’s total international exports - more than to Asia, North and South America, and the Middle East combined.
However other parts of the UK had an an greater reliance on EU exports.
Of the 134,000 jobs, around 55,000 were in manufacturing and 73,000 in services, with 21,000 attributed to firms and people spending money earned from EU contracts at home.
Scotland’s international exports to the rest of the world supported 196,000 jobs, while exports to the rest of the UK supported 560,000 jobs.
Leaving aside public sector and defence spending, 5.9 per cent of private sector employment in Scotland was based on EU exports, compared to 8.5 per cent to the rest of the world and 24.6 per cent o the rest of the UK.
Gary Smith, Scottish Secretary of the GMB, which commissioned the report, urged the UK government to publish its own sectoral analysis on Brexit.
“Then let’s start taking steps to mitigate the risks to the Scottish economy and Scottish jobs in crucial areas for us, like whisky and spirits.”
He also said the slowdown of the UK economy represented a “huge challenge” for Scotland given exports south of the border.
“We’re predicting 10 years of more low wage growth, which is going to mean we’ll have very big problems in one of our key markets.”
SNP Brexit minister Michael Russell added: “This report shows the threat Brexit poses to jobs and the risks to some of the most important sectors of our economy, further highlighting why I believe continued membership is crucial for our economic future.”
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