| That was the bleak picture for the two regions on the day it emerged unemployment across Scotland had fallen for the first time since the summer of last year.
It also comes just a day after the area was dealt another jobs blow with the loss of more than 80 posts at collapsed Drumoig-based construction firm Torith.
Enterprise Minister Jim Mather warned, “Economic prospects for 2010 remain uncertain and there is absolutely no scope for even the slightest complacency.”
According to figures published today, there were 4765 people in Dundee claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance in November, or 5.4% of the population. Three-quarters of the claimants were men.
The total is up from 4703 in October and 4668 in September. It means there are 1035 more people seeking employment in the city than in November 2008.
Elsewhere in Tayside, there were 2075 claimants in Angus last month — 535 more than a year ago — while in Perth and Kinross the rise was 583 to 1955.
However, the latter area continues to have one of the lowest proportions of people out of work in mainland Scotland, at 2.3%. The national figure is 4.1%.
Some 9835 Fifers were claiming job seeker’s benefit last month — which is 4.4% of the population and 2263 more than at the same time in November 2008.
Across Scotland there were signs of optimism, with the labour market continuing to outperform the rest of the UK, according to the latest statistics.
Over the three month period to October, the Scottish unemployment rate declined to 6.9%, with 2000 fewer people north of the border out of work.
At the UK level, unemployment increased by 21,000 and the UK unemployment rate was 7.9% over the same period.
Mr Mather said, “The first fall in unemployment in Scotland since July, 2008, is significant good news and a further welcome indication of fragile recovery.
“There is also a rise in employment and a fall in economic inactivity as the labour market in Scotland continues to outperform the rest of the UK. In fact, the growth in working age employment in Scotland accounts for 50% of total working age employment growth across the UK.
“Scotland’s position on employment rates, economic activity and unemployment rates has been better than the UK in each of the 30 months since May 2007.
“Between May, 2003, and April, 2007, Scotland was better placed on all three measures in just 10 out of the 48 months.
“That demonstrates the substantial work done by the Scottish Government to increase economic activity, support jobs and get people back to work.”
The minister said the signs of recovery were still “tentative.”
“Now is the time to redouble efforts and capitalise on any competitive angle that we can identify,” he said. “And it is precisely the wrong time for the UK Government to withdraw its stimulus package.
“Our decision to speed up vital infrastructure investment into this year is clearly making a big difference. Yet by withdrawing his stimulus package, the Chancellor is effectively pulling the plug on that money for next year.”
He said that decision would “put jobs in jeopardy and undermine our labour market just as it may be beginning to recover.” |
