SCOTLAND is still suffering from higher unemployment compared with the rest of the UK and continues to lag behind on employment, despite pay rising, figures have shown.

The latest Office of National Statistics labour market report showed that median monthly earnings in Scotland had risen to a new high of £2,427, growing by 5.8 per over the last year compared to 5.6 per cent rise across the UK.

Numbers in payrolled employment over the last quarter meanwhile rose by 4.4 per cent or 26,000 to a record 2,639,000.