ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the performance of the Scottish economy, particularly since the Great Recession. The Great Recession also brought to a head simmering concerns about the unequal distribution of income and wealth. The Great Recession marked a sea change in economic performance and a huge increase in economic uncertainty which has affected the Scottish economy in many ways. Since the recession that followed the crisis, Western economies, particularly those in Europe, have struggled to find the stable economic growth that was typical of the post-war era. The contemporary landscape of the Scottish economy holds both risks and potential rewards. The Scottish economy has also been profoundly influenced by the financial crisis of 2008, 2009, also known as the Great Recession, a global financial meltdown in which Scots and Scottish banks played prominent roles, some of them good, some of them particularly bad. Labour market statistics also provide pointers to structural changes in the Scottish economy.
