Governments must work together to give business the edge

Today’s release of labour market data has shown some very good news from a Scottish perspective, with unemployment falling by 14,000 and employment growing by 5,000 in the three months to March this year. Scottish Chambers of Commerce have welcomed the figures but have warned against complacency and renewed their call for Scotland’s Governments in Edinburgh and in London to work together to put business at the top of their agendas. Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:

“These latest figures for employment and unemployment are very positive, with unemployment falling and employment growing. This confirms the positive trends in recruitment that we have been picking up through our own research and demonstrates that Scotland’s businesses are ambitious to succeed. It is a timely reminder that they are the creators of Scotland’s jobs and wealth.

“Scotland’s businesses are working hard against some pretty strong economic headwinds right now and are continuing to seek the talents that they need to succeed, both by recruiting new staff and through upskilling existing workers. They must be supported to do so, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that the supply of skills meets business demand and that we are equipping more people with these talents, including workers of all ages and those who have been unemployed for an extended period.

“This demonstrates why a coherent industrial strategy for the UK is necessary and why this must be fully supported by both the UK and Scottish Governments. Scottish businesses are competing on a global basis and need the co-ordinated support of all levels of Government to give them the edge to enable business to create high quality employment opportunities for all.”