Around 80,000 jobs in Scotland could be lost if the government decides on a “hard” Brexit, according to research from Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute. Joan McAlpine, the SNP convener of the committee, said maintaining access to the single market is vital and the report indicates a ‘hard’ Brexit could have “disastrous consequences for jobs, exports and production.” The analysis found that both “soft” and “hard” Brexit options will have a negative economic impact, but that Scotland will be less affected than the rest of the UK, suffering a 2-5% GDP drop after a decade. A hard Brexit would see Scotland’s economy shrink by around £1bn per year – equivalent to about 1% of national output – while leaving it with an unemployment rate higher than the UK average. Scotland may also gain a $860m “fiscal stimulus” if the Scottish share of EU contributions is sent to the SNP government.
Around 80,000 jobs in Scotland could be lost if the government decides on a “hard” Brexit, according to research from Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute. The analysis found that both “soft” and “hard” Brexit options will have a negative economic impact, but that Scotland will be less affected than the rest of the UK, suffering a 2-5% GDP drop after a decade. A hard Brexit would see Scotland’s economy shrink by around £1bn per year – equivalent to about 1% of national output – while leaving it with an unemployment rate higher than the UK average. Scotland may also gain a $860m “fiscal stimulus” if the Scottish share of EU contributions is sent to the SNP government.