The Scottish hospitality sector is an important part of the Scottish economy, supporting £1.6 billion of economic activity and 228,000 workforce jobs in Q2 of 2023.
Yet, the Scottish hospitality sector continues to have the highest prevalence of low paid jobs when compared to other sectors of the Scottish economy, with 45% of the workforce paid a wage that fell below the Real Living Wage in 2022.
Coupled with recent poverty statistics, which indicate that households with hospitality workers at a greater risk of poverty, it is evident why many emphasize the significant challenges confronting the sector.
This data briefing, developed as part of the Serving the Future project, aims to provide an overview of the latest data associated with the hospitality sector in Scotland, encompassing key statistics on economic activity, employment, wages, and poverty.
Authors
Calum is an Associate Economist at the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) and a Researcher at the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy (CITP). He specialises in economic modelling and trade, and holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.
Emma Congreve is a Principal Knowledge Exchange Fellow and Deputy Director at the Fraser of Allander Institute. Emma's work at the Institute is focussed on policy analysis, covering a wide range of areas of social and economic policy. Emma is an experienced economist and has previously held roles as a senior economist at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and as an economic adviser within the Scottish Government.