Wednesday October 15th 2025
East Lothian Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Employment rates in East Lothian are higher than the Scottish average but almost twice as many workers are paid below the real living wage, it has been revealed.
A report by East Lothian Partnership revealed that just under 85 per cent of adults of working age in the county are in work compared to the Scottish national average rate of just under 75 per cent.
However it revealed that while across Scotland the average percentage of workers paid below the real living wage was 10 per cent, in East Lothian the figure rocketed to 19 per cent.
East Lothian Partnership brings together council teams with emergency services, health and community groups to develop the county’s Local Outcome Improvements Plan alongside area plans for the county.
The review of the situation in the county forr 2024/25 did not give a reason for the higher number of workers on the low wages, however it did reveal that there are more 16 to 19-year-olds in employment in the county than the national average with one in four working.
It said the partnership’s connected economy group was working to increase the number of businesses in the county who are real living wage employers adding: “Fair Work is a pillar on the Community Wealth Building Charter”.
The report revealed 22 per cent of children in East Lothian are living in poverty, just marginally down from the national average of 23 per cent and it found confidence in communities had fallen with fewer people feeling safe on the streets or trusting their neighbours for help.
It said the number of residents who felt safe walking alone in the dark had fallen from 85 per cent to 72 per cent over the last eight years with trust in neighbours and friends coming to their aid falling from 91 per cent to 78 per cent.
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