First minister highlights Scotland's economic resilience

Date: 18th August 2011

Small businesses operating in various industries north of the border could be among those encouraged by the recent comments of the country's government.

First minister Alex Salmond has highlighted that throughout the economic downturn, the UK as a whole has suffered longer and harder than Scotland on its own.

This could serve as encouragement to firms already in operation and make the country a more attractive option for those looking to set up a business.

"Scotland has lower unemployment, higher employment and lower economic inactivity rates than the UK as a whole - which indicates that the measures the Scottish government is taking to strengthen recovery and boost economic activity are working," the minister commented.

"While unemployment in Scotland fell by 15,000 over the year to June … the latest figures show that there are absolutely no grounds for complacency. Uncertainty surrounding the global economic outlook means that we cannot rely on external factors to boost our economy."

Posted by Thomas Fletcher