Economy and work in Scottish Borders
Council areaSouth east Scotland. 116,800 people (mid-2025 estimate) in 4,739 square kilometres, the 7th most sparsely populated council in the UK.
4 layers about economy and work for Scottish Borders, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.
Claimants by neighbourhood
Claimant count (Nomis) · August 2026
Scottish Borders’ 158 neighbourhoods range from 0 to 45.
Median full-time pay
CouncilGreat Britain onlyFull-time workers living in Scottish Borders earned a median of £33,600 in 2025.
People claiming out-of-work benefits
CouncilIn Scottish Borders, 1,930 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
Claimant rate
CouncilIn Scottish Borders, 2.9% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
For the UK as a whole, the figure was 3.9%.
- Against Scotland
- 9% lower3.2%
- Against the UK
- 26% lower3.9%
Employment rate
CouncilGreat Britain only78.6% of people aged 16 to 64 in Scottish Borders were in work in the year to March 2026.
Scottish Borders is joint 120th highest of 348 for employment rate.