Overview of Scotland

Scotland has a population of just over 5 million in an area of 78,000 sq kms. Population densities vary from 3,300 per sq km in Glasgow to eight per sq km in the Highlands. Gross Domestic Product is around £65,000 million (£12,500 per capita) for a labour force of 2.5 million people (75 per cent of all those of working age). An average gross weekly full-time wage of £427 is just over 90 per cent of the general UK figure.

There are 150,000 enterprises in Scotland, in which 30 per cent of people of working age are managers and executives, 11 per cent are supervisors, 23 per cent are skilled and semi-skilled, 12 per cent are unskilled and 6 per cent work for themselves; leaving nearly 20 per cent of long-term unemployed.

Scotland is home to 20 per cent of the biotech companies in the UK and is recognised as one of the fastest-growing regions for start-ups. The industry has over 440 organisations and employs more than 24,000 people. A rapidly growing optoelectronics industry employs around 5,000 people, with over 60 per cent of the output being exported. The Scottish food and drink industry employs over 55,000 people in more than 1,500 businesses.

Scotland’s semiconductor manufacturers employ over 5,500 people, and suppliers to the industry employ 2,700, with a 47 per cent share of the UK capacity. It is home to two out of the world’s top ten companies involved in telecommunications equipment manufacturing, and to two of the world’s top computer and office equipment manufacturers. In all, some 150 companies employing more than 15,000 people are involved in the telecommunications sector. The electronics industry employs 41,600 people directly, with a further 42,200 employed indirectly in the supply infrastructure.

Scotland has around 200 call centre sites, including 18 outsourcing companies, employing about 40,000 people. There are also 15 shared service centres employing more than 1,500 people. It is the sixth largest equity centre in Europe, currently managing £350 billion in funds.

Tourism is a major industry, supporting around 9 per cent of all employment. Over 20 million tourists visit annually, spending almost £5 billion. The annual Edinburgh Festival brings £176 million into the Scottish economy each year, making it the largest arts event in the UK.

Although the oil and gas industry supports 40,000 jobs in Aberdeen and Grampian, 70,000 in Scotland and nearly 300,000 across the UK, cuts are taking place with a long-term decline in the number of jobs in this sector. However it is hoped that those coming out of the industry may provide skilled workers in the ICT, renewable energy, business tourism and the creative sectors.

Scotland has 13 universities, six specialist higher education institutions and 46 further education colleges. Over half of young people in Scotland embark on further education – nearly 300,000 students of whom 55 per cent gain honours degrees. Science, medicine, dentistry, biological sciences and IT courses are very popular.

Opportunities and skills shortages

Many employment vacancies prove hard to fill, including construction, engineering, transport, nursing and childcare assistants, hairdressers and travel agents, while most small businesses believe that a shortage of skilled trades people has worsened recently.

The oil and gas sector suffers from the current skills shortage at least as much as any other sector, and is concerned about an average age of 40-plus. North Sea main contractors are still involved in long-term maintenance and modifications contracts.

Construction activity is set to increase considerably over the next decade, with housing, a harbour, the M74 extension and numerous other developments planned. Skills shortages across all trades mean that 75 per cent of construction companies have recruitment difficulties.

Employers

Slow recruitment and even redundancies continue to occur, even in expanding sectors as employers strive for greater competitiveness and performance. This has been the case in distribution, hotels and restaurants, public administration, education and health, although recruiting is anticipated in utilities companies.

The manufacturing and oil sectors continue to slim down, although other energy-generating concerns are moving into Scotland. High-tech, customer and technical support, and service companies currently offer the best prospects for employment.

Salaries

A rough guide to annual salaries is given below. This is inevitably very general and there will be variations between industries and also in various parts of Scotland. It should be noted that the pay gap between men and women in Scotland is the largest in Europe.

Manual£12,000 to £22,000

Semi-skilled£15,000 to £25,000

Skilled and supervisory£18,000 to £28,000

Managerial£20,000 to £40,000

Executive£38,000 and upwards

House price guide

The following prices are a rough guide only to property prices and are liable to overnight change as financial factors in the country as well as in the region affect housing.

Information courtesy of the Career Transition Partnership