35 people looking for work for every vacancy in some parts of Scotland – study

Parts of Scotland have up to 35 people out of work and wanting a job for every vacancy, according to a study.

The research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and the Fraser of Allander Institute examines how many people want to work and how many jobs are available in each council area in Scotland, and in larger commuting areas.

The report found that Dundee had the highest rate of people looking to work per vacancy, at 35, according to the latest available figures from 2024.

East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, Borders and Inverclyde had 10 vacancies for every person looking for work, while Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen had three.

The JRF said the better rates in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen masked the high “concentrations of poverty” within those cities.

Across Scotland, four people on average wanted to work for every advertised job vacancy.

The charity said the findings show Scotland does not have a single job market, but many, with “each presenting a different challenge and requiring a different response”.

It said the report showed the “potential untapped workforce in communities across Scotland which could flourish, given the right conditions”.

The report calls for a “radical” labour market and employment support overhaul and said putting the “right jobs in the right places” is one of the key levers to tackling child poverty.

Jack Evans, senior policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “Many people in Scotland feel overlooked by politicians and let down by an economy that is not working for them.

“Their relationship with the labour market often drives that feeling, but with the right conditions, there is an opportunity to turn this around and allow workers to flourish.

“Parents who want to work, and who have tried to work, are telling us the same thing that they have been telling politicians for years: the jobs are not where they live, or they do not pay enough, or they do not fit around their lives.

“If we want to lift children out of poverty and shape a better future for Scotland, we must invest in the places that have been waiting longest for good jobs to come back.

“This means building a childcare, transport and employability offer that meets parents where their working lives are, as well as simplifying the system so it’s clear who is responsible for local jobs, what they are doing, and whether it is working.

“People in these communities want to see their towns and cities thrive and that means councils, the Scottish Government, and local businesses all need to step up and play their part in making that happen.”

The report warns the Government against treating the labour market’s contribution to poverty as “a problem with individuals, rather than with job availability”.

Researchers found that employability investment is weighted towards a person’s readiness, even in places where the “binding constraint” is a lack of jobs.

JRF said it had identified more than 40 economic development agencies, partnerships, deals, strategies and frameworks operating simultaneously across Scotland with overlapping geographies, no single agreed definition of economic development, and no formal process for assessing whether they work.

It is calling for the system to be simplified and said the current system is not “coherent, accountable or clearly understood”.

Professor Mairi Spowage, director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, said: “Understanding local labour markets is fundamental to designing effective employability policy, but the recent data we have relied on has not been good enough.

“Survey estimates at local authority level have become increasingly uncertain, making it genuinely difficult to say with confidence where the pressures on both the supply and demand side of the labour market are greatest.

“For a policy framework like No One Left Behind, where support is delivered locally, that is a serious problem.

“This report shows what is possible when we draw on administrative data and link it across sources.

“By combining tax records, population data and job vacancy information, we can build a more detailed picture of local authority labour markets, one that reflects both how many people want to work and where the jobs actually are.

“Policymakers need improved intelligence about local labour markets so they can see clearly where the pressures are greatest and make sure the right support is going to the right places.”

Tom Arthur, minister for business and fair work, said: “Tackling child poverty is the defining mission of this Government.

“We are reviewing employability support within our first 100 days to break down barriers to work and ensure people have the help they need to enter and sustain employment.

“Our 2026-27 budget provides £90 million for Scotland’s employability services to enable more people to find and progress in work, including £40 million ringfenced to support parents.

“We estimate that more than 24,000 people will benefit from these services in 2026‑27.

“We are also working across childcare, transport, skills and social security to remove barriers to parents getting into work.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “Too many people in Scotland are locked out of opportunity, work and education – and we are determined to change that by shifting from a welfare state to a working state.

“Our ambitious reforms of the new Jobs and Careers Service will help people to find good jobs with lasting career progression and we are working hand in hand with employers to deliver tailored recruitment support to more than 8,000 businesses.

“Furthermore, our Child Poverty Strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 – the biggest ever reduction in a single parliament.”