CBI Confederation of British Industry : Commentary on Scottish GDP and labour market statistics

18 January 2017

| CBI Press Team

News

Hugh Aitken, CBI Scotland Director, has commented on the latest Scottish economic data.

New figures released by the Scottish Government show that output in Q3 grew by 0.2%, following 0.2% growth in Q2 in 2016. Regional labour market statistics, released by the ONS, show that unemployment rose by 11,000 in the three months to November 2016, while employment fell by 14,000.

Hugh Aitken, CBI Scotland Director said:

'Growth remained tepid in the quarter immediately after the EU referendum result and continued to underperform the UK as a whole. And more recent labour market data revealed a fall in employment.

'With the Budget now increasingly tied to the fortunes of the Scottish economy, it is imperative the Scottish Government draws upon all its powers to try and close the gap with the rest of the UK. The recent CBI/Irwin Mitchell Unlocking Regional Growth report illustrates how lifting productivity has a central role to play in creating prosperity right across the country.'