Hopefully, you’ve already seen that the Scottish unemployment rate was down again last month for the third time in a row and that the gap with the rest of UK is getting wider at 3.8% as opposed to 4.5%. In May, the Scottish rate was 4.4% compared to the UK rate of 4.6%. In June, it was 4.0% while the UK rate was still 4.6%.
There’s always the worry that many of the new jobs are temporary or casual in some way. However, research by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, reported in insider.co.uk, indicated a ‘steep’ increase in permanent jobs as well as temporary appointments.
http://www.insider.co.uk/news/steep-increases-permanent-jobs-starting-10949189
These increases clearly relate to growth in the overall economy. The Scottish economy grew by four times as much as the UK as-a-whole in the last quarter and an earlier survey reported Scottish businesses to be more confident than those in England.
Scottish businesses showing signs of greater health than those in the rest of the UK
There’s further good news, in the same report, which again must relate to the above factors in that starting salaries rose at the fastest rate in ten months. None of the companies surveyed reported a fall in starting salaries and 25% reported sometimes steep increases to get the people they wanted.
I haven’t mentioned Kezia or Ruth in the headline. It only worked once to draw a big readership. I’ve been seen through.
Talking-up Scotland 
Hi John – Hi all. Lots of interesting evidence in the Recruitment and Employment Confederation stats to further consolidate the the strong impression of a Scottish economy that is displaying considerable vibrancy in the face of the Tory Westminster general mismanagement of everything. (Proof in my view that the good work of an active SNP Scottish Govt which finds opportunities to pull relevant players together to explore and develop commercial opportunities is having big effects).
I noticed a small example of this type of development in the BBC website North East Scotland page. It carries a report today (08/08) of an Aberdeen based Drilling Tools firm called NXG (based in Altens in Aberdeen) which has developed a new facility at Peterhead (specialist welding procedures etc). Currently employs 15 and looking to recruit a further 18 staff. An investment of £2M to cope with increased demand. (Yet the Tory /Labour Westminster establishment are constantly spreading the lie that the Scottish sector is fully mature and in rapid decline).
The initial figures from today’s Scottish exam results look promising. The BBC website seems unable to cast things in a negative light – so carry quotes from the various Better Together party people along lines of these good results being achieved ‘in spite of’ the SNP Scottish Govt!! (belly laughs all round with that line of attack).
Well hidden within the (fairly large and fairly neutral) beeb article are a couple of telling quotes from people who are actually involved at a strategic level – and who know how the SNP Scottish Govt is gently moving the process on by dint of constant application and attention to detail:
Dr Janet Brown, chief executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, said the figures demonstrated stability in the system.
“One of the things that we absolutely have to ensure is that standards are maintained and we can see that candidates are reaching those standards and attaining as they have done in the past,” she said.
In maths, the attainment rate rose to 74% from 73.5% last year at Higher, while in English the attainment rate dropped from 78.8% in 2016 to 77.3% this year.
There was an increase in the number of pupils taking and passing qualifications in skills for work and personal development courses.
The Scottish Funding Council’s interim chief executive John Kemp said: “This reflects the strength of the university sector in Scotland.
“I am especially pleased today to see the 13% increase in students from the most deprived areas of Scotland going to a Scottish university. Although there is more work to be done, today’s figures indicate that we are taking significant steps in the right direction.”
Amazing the difference that having an SNP Scottish Govt quietly getting on with the day job can make isn’t it?
A final thought – Noticed another snippet regarding a church in Portlethen which had been unable to recruit a Minister. Finally a new Minister has been recruited from France. The Rev. Rodolphe Blanchard – Kowal is being tempted from his church in Cognac to come to Aberdeenshire – and is bringing his wife and 3 schoolage children. Brilliant news for all concerned. Real chance for some interesting cross-cultural and international developments. Real example of the benefits of freedom of movement across the E.U.
Note that this area has just voted in a Tory (ie hard brexiteer) Westminster MP and a Tory (hard brexit) council. I wonder sometimes about the complexities and conundrums of Scottish political life!
Thanks, Ludo
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Thanks again for adding to the story
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Haha, no one falling for the Kezia/Ruth ruse again?! People must catch on quick 🙂
Despite feeling old when I hear about ‘starting’ salaries, this is good news, shows that a lot of businesses feel confident about the future – they feel employees are worth investing in. (? I don’t actually know that, I can’t get into the employers mindset, or how they determine a worth. I heard, on the grapevine, that JP Morgan can pay starting graduates 35-40K – this may have been told to me to get a gasp shock horror reaction, I don’t know – and no real skills needed, so go for it if you are in that bracket! But how can you pay someone that much and, say, a cleaner gets minimum wage if that?). On the whole, unemployment down, permanent employment and wages up, is sounding like a fairly solid economy.
Talking of cleaners, I was chatting with a newish cleaner in the work: turns out he’s from Ethiopia, and interested in history,,, my goodness I had to wrack my brains to remember what I knew of Ethiopia – not much as it turns out, but I didn’t make a complete fool of myself – I think – it was where archeologsts found ‘eve’ (missing link type thing, ‘mother’ of modern man). Did you know that’s where the Queen of Sheba was from? I was woefully inadequate to the task of remembering who she actually was, even if I know the title (he told me her actual name, but I can barely remember my colleagues names at the best of times, so I didn’t really try hard to remember it). Tons of volcanoes there apparently, with a region that is the hottest place on Earth, with lots of salt and pretty colours. We got off-track from historic issues and trees, on to evolution, he said he believed his religion and wasn’t convinced by evolution, so I started on some light convincing, just saying that there was some evidence, he still wasn’t convinced (strangely!). … Right, what was my point? Oh aye, it’s good to talk, you learn all sorts from different folks, and, as long as you remain non-judgemental, no one is offended & everyone is enlightened!
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Ethiopa then Abyssinia first victim of aerial bombardment, by Italian airforce. I think we were next in Iraq during 1920s? Bomber Harris
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Think the Arc of the Covenant is claimed to be in Ethiopia. Saw something like that on a Documentary.
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No Indiana Jones left it in an Amazon store in the US.
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I think I will believe Clydebuilt on this one! That rings a bell about the Arc of the Covenant. I have an image of deep dark jungles and ancient ruins, but I think that might be real archaeological stuff, not Indiana Jones-style! maybe …
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Okay, I gave in and went to Wiki:
“Ethiopia offers a greater richness in archaeological finds and historical buildings than any other country in Sub-Saharan Africa (including Sudan). The country has several UNESCO world heritage sites related to archaeology which include: Axum (one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Africa), the Awash Valley where Lucy (Australopithecus) a hominin who lived around 3.2 million years ago was discovered, and Tiya (archaeological site) where Middle Stone Age tools and megaliths have been found.
Ethiopia is well known for its significant fossil-bearing beds which have borne some of the oldest and most complete fossil hominids. One well known example is Lucy. Her hominid species Australopithecus afarensis is named after the Afar Ethiopian region where it was discovered. Other discoveries are still being made. Around 2000, archaeologists uncovered the ruins of the legendary ancient Islamic kingdom of Shoa, that included evidence of a large urban settlement as well as a large mosque.
In April 2005, the Obelisk of Axum, one of Ethiopia’s religious and historical treasures, was returned to Ethiopia by Italy. ”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology_of_Ethiopia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Ethiopia
(etc)
So we are all correct! Well done, many high fives all round, on remembering interesting factoids. There are so many ancient stones there the Arc must be there too (that’s logic for you 🙂 ).
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OK I give in too
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