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The latest ONS data for Scotland indicates that there were approximately 47,900 new online job adverts posted in July 2025, down 1.1% over the year from July 2024. The data also indicate that the number of new online job vacancies posted in Scotland in July 2025 were 32.5% lower than in July 2021, when online job adverts were at their highest July level following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scotland’s labour market is resilient, despite economic challenges. The number of payrolled employees in Scotland remains relatively high with 2.45 million payrolled employees in July 2025 while unemployment remains low.

However, sectors like Construction continue to face recruitment difficulties. Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) data for Scotland indicated that 31.0% of Construction sector businesses experienced recruitment difficulties in July, compared to 22.4% of all businesses in Scotland. These challenges will be exacerbated by the ongoing damage of Brexit. The changes introduced in the UK Government’s Immigration White Paper completely fail to meet Scotland’s economic and demographic needs, and the UK Government must work urgently with the Scottish Government to ensure that the immigration system works for our businesses, public services, and communities.

We can confirm that security passes are not issued on the basis of gender identity. Our pass management system records the details necessary to ensure safe and secure access to the Parliament estate and gender identity is not a factor in the issuing of passes. 

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-40219 on 19 September 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

The Scottish Government is committed to recovering benefit overpayments wherever it is considered economic and reasonable to do so in line with the principles set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Details of defence programme contractual arrangements, including associated jobs, are a matter for individual companies. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

The Scottish Government do not currently provide means-tested benefits, although certain benefits, notably 5-family payments, are targeted to those in receipt of relevant qualifying reserved benefits, and Carer Support Payment is available to eligible unpaid carers with an income below a threshold of £196 per week. Over 80% of devolved benefits expenditure is currently provided to disabled people to help them meet the costs for their disabilities.

Social Security Scotland does not hold information on whether its clients are subject to active employment support requirements, as there is no eligibility need to collect or retain this data.

Scottish Enterprise recently provided a £7.4 million Research and Development grant and a £1.8 million Training Aid grant to BAE Systems to help them maximise skills development and support the establishment of a collegiate training facility which will provide access to the broader industry through the Applied Shipbuilding Academy, which is overseen by BAE Systems as custodians of the Glasgow shipyards.

Details of defence programme contractual arrangements, including associated apprenticeships, are a matter for individual companies. Information on contracts awarded through the UK Government Ministry of Defence are published and publicly available.

Social Security Scotland has a statutory responsibility under the Scottish Public Finance Manual to ensure public resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively. The agency has developed a Debt Management Strategy to guide its approach to recovering overpaid benefits, with respect for clients’ dignity at its core.