The COVID-19 Recovery Committee undertook an inquiry into the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market and the prospects for recovery in the short, medium and long-term.
We specifically focused on the long-term sick component of economically inactive people, as well as people who have chosen early retirement. The ONS defines economic inactivity as “people not in employment who have not been seeking work within the last 4 weeks and/or are unable to start work within the next 2 weeks.”
The Committee investigated these two drivers behind economic inactivity to make recommendations to the Scottish Government on Scotland’s economic and social recovery from COVID.
The Committee held an open call for views which closed on Friday 9 September 2022.
Read the summary of responses (253KB, pdf) posted 31 October 2022
Read the SPICe paper on the Scottish labour market (2MB, pdf) posted 31 October 2022
The Committee took evidence on this inquiry during the following sessions;
3 November 2022
10 November 2022
17 November 2022
8 December 2022
The Committee hosted an informal, online meeting on the morning of Thursday, 24 November. The Committee heard from people who have a long-term health condition and people who have taken early retirement since 2020. The Committee also heard from people working in recruitment.
The views shared will help inform the Committee’s inquiry into the Impact of the Pandemic on the Scottish Labour Market and the recommendations it made to the Scottish Government.
A note of the meeting is available here:
Informal online engagement session, Note of discussion, 24 November 2022 (115KB, pdf) posted 05 December 2022
On Monday 28 November, the Committee visited Airdrie to speak with Remploy and Routes to Work, their service users and partners to understand what services they are providing to support people with a long-term illness into employment in North Lanarkshire. A video of the event can be found on the Scottish Parliament’s Twitter account.
The views shared will help inform the Committee’s inquiry into the Impact of the Pandemic on the Scottish Labour Market and any recommendations it makes to the Scottish Government.
A note of the meeting is available here:
Visit to Airdrie, Note of discussion, 28 November 2022 (108KB, pdf) posted 05 December 2022
The Committee published its report on 7 February 2023.
The Minister for Just Transition Employment and Fair work responded to the report on 28 March 2023.
Scottish Government's response (199KB, pdf) posted 28 March 2023