Number of employees in Shetland
About this Indicator
This indicator looks at the total number of employees in Shetland, including full-time and part-time workers in both the public and private sector. An employee is anyone aged 16 years or over that an organisation directly pays from its payroll(s), in return for carrying out a full-time or part-time job or being on a training scheme. It excludes voluntary workers, self-employed and working owners who are not paid via PAYE.
| Indicator | 2018 Baseline | 2021 Target | 2028 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of employees in Shetland | 13,600 employees in Shetland | At least 13,700 employees in Shetland (increase of 80 per annum) | At least 14,300 employees in Shetland (an increase of 800 over 10 years) |
Source
The data comes from the Office for National Statistics’ Business Register and Employment Survey. The baseline figure is based on the 2016 (revised) edition of the dataset. Please note that the printed Partnership Plan’s baseline of 13,500 was based on the 2016 (provisional) edition of the dataset.
Most recent data
In 2022 there were 13,400 employees in Shetland. This is a decrease from the previous year which exceeded the 2021 target, as well as a decrease from the 2018 baseline.Why do we monitor this indicator?
Despite Shetland’s economic success, there are many challenges. In 2022, there were 1.08 jobs per person in Shetland compared to 0.81 in Scotland, suggesting vacancies and increased unmet demand for local labour (NOMIS). A lack of available labour can make it difficult to sustain services and the economy. More employees will enable our communities, economy and services to grow and flourish.
Changes to the movement of labour following Brexit are likely to have impacted on Shetland, as our restricted labour market means that in-migration is essential for continued economic development and growing our working age population, and the sectors previously noted are considered to have been most impacted on by changes to UK migration laws.
Shetland Island Council's Corporate Plan Our Ambition 2021-26 highlights that we need to diversify our economic base and provide more work for people.
This indicator contributes to monitoring the desired outcomes outlined in the Place priority of the Partnership Plan.
“Shetland will be attracting and retaining the people needed to sustain our economy, communities and services.”