EDINBURGH: Official figures show Scotland's economy was in a steeper decline than the rest of the UK.
EDINBURGH: Official figures show Scotland's economy was in a steeper decline than the rest of the UK.
The second quarter saw the Scottish economy shrink by 0.8%, after a fall of 2.5% during the first quarter.
John Swinney, finance secretary said: "While Scotland continues to have higher employment and economic activity rates than the UK as a whole, today's figures confirm that there is no room for complacency.
"We must continue to do all we can to position Scotland's economy for recovery."
He said the figures showed the Scottish government was "absolutely right" to speed up capital spending to fight the recession.
Other figures released also suggested the worst of the recession may be over.
The CBI's latest quarterly industrial survey said Scotland's manufacturing sector saw a return to growth in output and orders in the three months to October. It predicts an "even stronger" increase over the next three months.
