Article

The Covid-19 public health crisis has dominated our lives for more than a year. In economic terms, however, the crisis is likely to dominate for many years to come. Once the virus is brought under control, Scotland, like countries around the world, will face a long road to rebuilding our economy, public services, and the social infrastructure that is so crucial to our everyday lives.

There will be considerable pressure on the next Scottish government to create jobs quickly, and to return to ‘normality’ as fast as possible. But rather than an ‘any jobs’ recovery, creating a fair and sustainable recovery will rely on setting our sights on a ‘good jobs’ recovery. Beyond over-simplified targets for the number of jobs created, or the scale of investment promised. To get it right, plans for recovery must focus on what kind of economic activity is supported, in which places, and for whose benefit. At the heart of this lies fair work.