Unemployment down in Scotland for fifth month

Unemployment in Scotland has fallen for the fifth month in a row, with 214,000 Scots now out of work.

Official statistics showed a drop of 5000 in the jobless total – which includes people out of work but not eligible for benefits – over the period April to June.

The number of people who are out of work and receiving jobseeker's allowance fell to 142,600 in July.

The Scottish unemployment rate now stands at 7.9% – slightly lower than the UK average rate of 8%.

But unemployment north of the border is still 3000 higher than the same quarter last year.