Scottish Government to set out new measures to help long-term unemployment

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes will unveil details of the measures, planned for this year and 2027, on a visit to a building site in Glasgow on Monday.

There Forbes will meet workers who have overcome obstacles before getting a job, with the deputy First Minister saying they were among those whose lives have “been transformed” by the support available through the government’s No One Left Behind service.

Over six years to June 2025, the scheme has helped 28,699 people into employment in Scotland.

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Meanwhile, a total of 40,578 people were assisted over the same period to gain more training or qualifications, work experience or volunteering experience or to re-engage with school.

The Scottish Government believes such efforts to help those who are out of work find employment are critical to both boosting the country’s economy and to tackling child poverty.

Speaking ahead of Monday’s visit Forbes stressed that Scotland’s unemployment rate of 3.7% was lower than the average for the UK as a whole.

But she added: “We remain committed to delivery of tailored support at a local level and are maintaining our £90 million investment in employability services in 2026-27, despite a challenging fiscal landscape.”