Leading Dundee SNP figures have hailed new statistics showing that the employment rate for young Dundonians is almost 3% higher than the national average.
However, the statistics also reveal an 8.1% drop in employment generally in the city since 2008.
Labour had slammed the national figures for youth employment, with Jenna Marra MSP saying the SNP had left more young people “languishing on the dole”.
She said the figures showed “just how difficult the recession has been for everyone, but particularly young Scots”.
She added that while more young people were left to “languish on the dole”, Angela Constance MSP was promoted from being youth employment minister to the cabinet secretary for training, youth and women’s employment.
Ms Marra added: “Youth unemployment remains higher than it was in 2008 and is higher in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.
“That isn’t a record for which the Scottish Government should be proud.
“Ironically, while more of our young people languish on the dole, the minister in charge of this terrible performance has been given a promotion by her boss.
“In most businesses, failure sees you getting fired. With the SNP, it seems that as long as you remain loyal to Alex Salmond, even failing ministers will get promoted.
“Young people, let down by this Government, will be angered at her dismal record being rewarded.”
Now the SNP in Dundee has hit back at Ms Marra’s claims.
Dundee City West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said: “Employment among the 16-24s in Dundee in 2013 was 55.2%, nearly 3% higher than the national average of 52.6%.
“Tackling youth unemployment is key to making our country more prosperous. We have made young people a priority by having a minister specifically to tackle youth unemployment, and this is clearly now making a big impact.
“The Scottish Government is working hard to boost the numbers of modern apprentices beyond the high targets which we set, of 25,000 new starts on the programme each year.
“Modern apprenticeships are a key part of the training options available for our young people and there are around 1,000 young people on the scheme in the city.”
The figures released by the Scottish Government reveal that just 59,500 people were employed in Dundee in 2013, down from 66,100 in 2008. In 2004, 62,200 people were employed in the city.
Dundee East MP and SNP Treasury spokesman, Stewart Hosie, believes this could be explained by more people taking early retirement in the city.
He said: “The decrease in Dundee employment in 2013 relates almost entirely to the 50-64 age sector, where Dundee’s employment rate is 54.7%, the third lowest in Scotland, so it could be that people in Dundee are choosing to retire earlier.
“The national average employment rate for 50-64 year olds is 64.9%,” he added.
Scotland has experienced a larger increase in the youth unemployment rate since 2008, with this up by 7% compared to a rise of 5.1% across the UK over the period.