SCC COMMENT ON UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

Wednesday 16th June 2010

Commenting on the news that Scottish unemployment rose by 7,000 in the three months to April, Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:

“The news that unemployment is continuing to rise in Scotland is disappointing, but not unexpected.  Unemployment tends to be a lagging indicator of our economic performance, and whilst we may have turned a corner back to a path of fragile growth, it may be some time before this translates into businesses having the confidence to grow their workforce.

“With UK future growth projections being downgraded and Scotland’s historic reliance on the public sector unlikely to produce growth in the medium term, it will be down to the private sector to drive our economy forward and create new employment opportunities.  With this in mind, we are looking for positive action from the UK Government in next week’s Budget to support business.  The Chancellor must fulfil his pre-election promises and reverse the planned National Insurance Contribution increases in full, and enterprise must not be penalised by changes in Capital Gains Tax rules.

“By backing business to create wealth, Government can help us boost the economy, create jobs and tackle the Budget deficit.”

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