Scottish unemployment rises to 4.7% in latest quarter

Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.

1. Scotland’s unemployment rate increased to 4.7 per cent between February and April, according to the latest labour market statistics.

Data from the Office for National Statistics and HM Revenue and Customs labour market statistics shows unemployment was up 0.4 percentage points on the previous quarter. The UK unemployment rate was 4.4 per cent.

Just over 73 per cent of 16 to 64 year olds in Scotland were employed, and 23.2 per cent were classed as economically inactive and not looking for work.

Kate Forbes, the deputy first minister, said the government was investing more than £5 billion to grow the economy between 2024 and 2025.

She added: