‘Staggering’ loss of jobs in construction industry

The beleaguered construction industry in Scotland has shed 62,500 jobs since the economic crash, according to new figures.

Total employment in the industry in Scotland was 172,700 at the end of 2012, the lowest since 2004, said the Scottish Building Federation.

“We know about the tough times building firms are currently experiencing, but these figures lay bare the huge extent of the damage done to the construction industry by the economic downturn.

“Over the past five years, more jobs have been lost from the building sector than from the Scottish economy as a whole.

“Since 2008, we’ve lost more than a quarter of our workforce, which is nothing short of staggering,” it said.