Yes there is a strong signal that young people in the UK are struggling more in the labour market than usual. According to the latest figures, the youth unemployment rate (among 16 to 24-year-olds) has climbed sharply and recently hit around 16.1%, its highest level outside the COVID-19 period in more than a decade.
People in Scotland will have access to expanded 24/7 mental health support, backed by an estimated £1.5 billion of investment on mental health and wellbeing support from the Scottish Government. This funding includes £3.5 million of new investment announced today which will make it easier for people to get the help they need, reducing pressure on A&E and other emergency services like Police Scotland.
This subject is all over the news so tension is building as to what he government will finally say. Based on the most recent reporting, the answer is there are strong signs of a possible delay, even though ministers publicly insist the policy has not been abandoned.
Up to 30,000 extra hours of adult social care work are expected to be secured every month through the Adult Social Care Displaced Workers Scheme. The scheme, backed by £500,000 Scottish Government funding, is helping employers recruit international workers who are already in the UK and find themselves without sponsored employment at no fault of their own.
For months now, political leaders and commentators have pointed to falling inflation as evidence that the cost‑of‑living crisis is easing. Technically, they're right: the rate at which prices are rising has slowed.
New proposals for onshore renewable energy developments. Communities across Scotland could see more money invested in their area as a result of onshore renewable energy developments under new proposals published today.
Inflation easing boosts expectations of rate cuts but this may need further reductions in inflation before a further cut in interest rates is likely. January 2026 CPI inflation fell to 3.0%, the lowest in nearly a year, largely due to weaker prices for petrol, food and airfares.
The most recent productivity figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), covering the final quarter of 2025. It paints a mixed picture of the UK's productivity performance, highlighting both progress relative to pre-pandemic levels and slowing momentum compared with recent quarters.
Dstl's trial has supported the development of next‑generation atomic clocks for the UK's defence needs. A trial led by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has helped develop a new generation of critically improved atomic clock technology for the UK military.
Schools will now need to inform pupils when a request is made by a parent or carer to withdraw them from religious observance and to consider any objection the young person may have, under legislation backed by MSPs. The Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill was passed in a final Stage 3 vote in the Scottish Parliament.
National headlines keep telling us that inflation is falling, the economy is stabilising, and the worst of the cost‑of‑living crisis is behind us. But in Caithness, that message feels like it's coming from another planet.
Dog attacks on farm animals are not treated as minor incidents anywhere in the UK, but the legal consequences for owners differ sharply depending on where the incident happens. As countryside access increases and lambing season approaches, understanding those differences matters especially for dog walkers.
AI, green tech, hybrid work and how to prepare for the future of employment. The world of work is in the middle of a profound shift.
The UK jobless rate climbed to 5.2% in the three months to December 2025, up from 5.1% previously - the highest level since early 2021 outside the pandemic period. The latest figures from ONS show Scotland doing better than the south.
While much attention is paid to "jobs of the future", a quieter shift is under way across the UK and Scotland. Entire categories of work are shrinking, not because of one policy decision or recession, but because people simply live, spend and socialise differently than they used to.
The UK is preparing for one of the most significant regulatory shifts in its financial history. From 25 October 2027, cryptoassets will fall under a comprehensive Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulatory regime, bringing the sector firmly into the mainstream of financial services oversight.
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) borrowers will benefit from stronger protections from 15 July 2026, following the Government's decision to bring the sector under the FCA's regulation. BNPL will be subject to the Consumer Duty and consumers will benefit from the following changes.
When people talk about building wealth, they usually reach for complex answers: investing strategies, side hustles, property portfolios. But one of the most powerful financial decisions most people can make is far simpler and that is not smoking and not drinking.
From digital IDs to council elections, pensioners to pubs the government's policy Ping-Pong shows that in politics, reversal is the new normal. Since Labour swept into power in July 2024, the UK Government has been providing the public with what can only be described as a masterclass in policy gymnastics.
Funding more generous provision will increasingly need some combination of higher devolved tax revenues and more efficient public service delivery. The Scottish Government received 26% more per resident for devolved public services from the UK government than is spent on comparable services in England in 2024-25.