From BBC Business, based on the latest ONS data, today:

The UK unemployment rate has unexpectedly gone up while the number of job vacancies has fallen to its lowest level in five years as the initial impact of the Iran war on firms starts to be felt.

The unemployment rate rose slightly to 5% in the three months to March from 4.9% in the three months to February.

Analysts said the figures show the first effects of the Middle East war on the jobs market, and warned demand for workers would likely continue to weaken the longer the conflict goes on.

and:

Ben Harrison, director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said this was making life “particularly difficult” for young people as the youth unemployment rate has reached 14.7%, its highest since late 2014.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx2plkvg45o

Scottish figures are not offered by BBC Business and BBC Scotland has no coverage.

Here’s why.

First, from STV today:

Official figures for January to March 2026 showed 123,000 Scots were jobless, giving an unemployment rate of 4.4%.

https://news.stv.tv/scotland/number-of-scots-in-work-falls-by-34000-over-three-months

So, overall unemployment at 5% in the UK is 13.6% higher than in Scotland.

Second, from Skills Development Scotland in April 2026, the latest available youth unemployment rate (ages 16-24) for Scotland is 12.6% . The 14.7% figure for the UK is 16.6% higher.