Scotland’s economic inactivity persistently higher than whole of UK

Speaking to senior business leaders at the Institute of Directors’ Policy Committee this morning, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has said that the Scotland must focus on driving down NHS waiting times and getting people back to work in order to grow the economy.

His comments come after new statistics showed that Scotland’s rate of economic inactivity was 22.8% in Q4 2024 – 1.3% higher than the rate for the whole United Kingdom. Scotland’s rate has been persistently higher than that for the UK as a whole since 2016.

Studies have shown that poor health explains a larger proportion of economic inactivity in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. This reflects both a higher proportion of the population with long-term conditions or disabilities and a higher correlation between long-term conditions or disabilities and inactivity.

As at the end of last year, more than 860,000 people were stuck on an NHS waiting list in Scotland.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“I’d like to thank the Institute of Directors for having me. It’s fantastic meeting with people from across the business community to discuss how we can spark growth and innovation in Scotland.

“The concerning figures on economic inactivity illustrate why fixing our NHS is so important for the health of our economy. If people can’t get help fast, then they can’t get back to work and get on in life.

“On the SNP’s watch, people are waiting too long for the health care they need. It’s keeping them trapped on waiting lists, unable to return to work and get on in life.

“That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats fought hard to secure more money for key skills programmes in this year’s budget. We know how important it is to fix the broken care system, free up hospital capacity and enable people to be seen fast.

“We've also secured millions more to tackle Long Covid which has limited the ability of thousands of Scots to work. With Long Covid clinics getting set up for the first time in Scotland, it's going to help people who have been held back for too long.

“These are just some the practical steps Liberal Democrats are taking to build the foundations of an economy that can thrive for generations to come.

"I am keen to work with senior business leaders and hear their ideas as we develop our programme for the next Scottish election."