Economy and work in Shetland Islands
Council areaNorth Scotland. 22,710 people (mid-2025 estimate) in 1,469 square kilometres, the 4th most sparsely populated council in the UK.
4 layers about economy and work for Shetland Islands, each at the level its publisher released it, with its own date and source.
Claimants by neighbourhood
Claimant count (Nomis) · August 2026
Shetland Islands’ 31 neighbourhoods range from 0 to 25.
Median full-time pay
CouncilGreat Britain onlyFull-time workers living in Shetland Islands earned a median of £46,527 in 2025.
People claiming out-of-work benefits
CouncilIn Shetland Islands, 175 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.
Claimant rate
CouncilIn Shetland Islands, 1.2% 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
- 63% lower3.2%
- Against the UK
- 69% lower3.9%
Employment rate
CouncilGreat Britain only78.5% of people aged 16 to 64 in Shetland Islands were in work in the year to March 2026.
Shetland Islands is joint 125th highest of 348 for employment rate.