Gathering and presenting sound, relevant labour market information should form an integral part of preparing a project proposal and compiling an application for funding. Providing independent and relevant labour market and economic data with your application helps ensure that ERDF funding can be invested in projects which best meet the needs of the South of Scotland region. The statistics used can range from data extracted from national statistical datasets to project specific analysis and indeed the best applications use a blend of statistical evidence, local knowledge and interpretation to support their case for funding.

Outlined on the following pages are a selection of data and analytical reports which provide economic and labour market information relevant to the South of Scotland.

The reports have been divided into three sections:

• South of Scotland regional sources - providing an overview of the labour market across the South of Scotland region. 
• Scottish national sources - including analysis of the labour market in rural Scotland.
• Local area sources - providing labour market data based on small geographical areas such as individual settlements, local authority wards and post code sectors.

A four page factsheet providing tips on incorporating labour market intelligence into your application, based on the content of these web pages, can be downloaded here.