Drop in the number of people in work in Scotland

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The number of Scots in work fell by 43,000, to 2,643,000, in the three months to September, according to official figures.

The employment rate, which is the proportion of people aged between 16 and 64 who are in paid work, now stands at 74.4%.

Scotland's unemployment total over the same period rose by 8,000, to 110,000.

The jobless rate now stands at 4%, compared with 3.8% for the UK as a whole.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics also showed the biggest annual drop in the number of job vacancies in the UK in nearly 10 years.

The ninth consecutive monthly fall in available jobs saw advertised positions fall by 18,000 to 800,000.

Meanwhile, UK wage growth slowed down over the summer.

Average earnings, excluding bonuses, increased by 3.6%, compared with 3.8% growth in the previous period.