Scottish Labour’s National Recovery Plan for Jobs

Without bold action, Scotland faces an unemployment crisis that will become a national emergency. 

The scale of the problem that confronts us requires a response equally as ambitious as our initial response to the pandemic. 

That is why we are proposing the most ambitious jobs creation plan in the history of devolution – as anything short would not meet the needs of Scotland’s recovery.

Taking decisive action now can protect people’s incomes and wellbeing, save a generation of young people from being permanently disadvantaged in the labour market, and kickstart our economy. Scottish Labour has an ambitious plan to tackle the crisis head on.

Covid-19 has left the Scottish economy fragile: GDP has declined by 9.6% already, business confidence remains low, and certain sectors face significant decline and vulnerability.

As furlough unwinds, businesses collapsing, job losses and redundancies are likely. Scotland faces an unemployment crisis at levels not seen since 2008. The impact is being acutely felt by young people, risking a ‘lost generation’. The result of inaction: widening inequality, long term unemployment, and a proliferation of ‘in work poverty’.

Scotland’s economy also faces challenges beyond the pandemic; in 10 years’ time the Scottish economy will look entirely different, the pandemic having accelerated structural changes and threatening existing ways of working. Without a just transition for the move to a low carbon economy, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be threatened, while we are already seeing the challenges of increased automation and e-commerce across our high-streets and manufacturing sites. Businesses also face post-Brexit challenges, with new barriers and restrictions. There is a clear need for re-skilling our workforce towards the new economic reality.

We cannot risk anyone being left behind. It is Scottish Labour’s first national mission to ensure that everyone who wants a job can have a job.

This demands a collective effort from the government, the wider public sector, the private sector and the trade unions to focus Scotland on action in this area.

Jobs Recovery Plan focuses on five key areas:

• Providing good work for those who need it
• A comprehensive plan to up-skill Scotland’s workforce towards the new, long term reality
• Substantial private sector incentives to provide additional employment opportunities that reduce inequalities and support equal access for young people and those at greater risk of unemployment
• Using the power of the public sector supports Scottish jobs and Good Work principles
• Ensuring that Scotland’s economy is leveraging our advantages for jobs in the long-term