New unemployment figures suggest Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire continue to buck the Scottish trend.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics yesterday showed the number of people classed as jobless and looking for work in Scotland grew by 3,000 between December and February, to 115,000.
But Andrew Johnston, work coach at Jobcentre Plus in Aberdeen, said the total claimant count in Europe’s oil and gas capital fell by 12% last month, to 3,435. Aberdeenshire also saw a large drop, by 17% to 2,225, he said.
Mr Johnston said youth unemployment in both areas was also down, reflecting recovery in the north-east economy after the region’s recent woes.
Inverness Jobcentre Plus customer service manager Christopher Ross said the claimant count for the Highland capital, along with Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, totalled 1,855 last month. Year-on-year comparisons in the Highlands are skewed by the rollout of universal credit.
Mr Ross said: “There are lots of jobs available and a number of large companies have recently moved or are moving into the area or are expanding.”