In the Guardian today and from the ONS, above, but getting no BBC coverage: Unemployment fell and wages increased in April, official figures showed, putting pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates despite a peace deal in the Middle East. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed [UK] unemployment slipped to 4.9% in the three months to April from 5% in the three months to March. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/18/uk-unemployment-rate-falls-wages-interest-rates-iran-war Looking just at England and Scotland, it’s, in crude terms, 0.8% higher in the former. BBC Reporting Scotland will probably describe that as ‘similar’ but as a … Continue reading Unemployment in England 19% higher than in Scotland after nearly 20 years of not being governed by a social democratic party like the SNP