LONDON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- More than half a million Scottish jobs, around one in four, depend on Scotland's trade with the rest of Britain, new research published Thursday revealed.
The figures from the Fraser of Allander Institute showed this was more than four times as many jobs supported by trade with the European Union (EU).
The report said that around 530,000 jobs in Scotland were supported by demand for Scottish goods and services from the rest of Britain. That compares with the more than 175,000 jobs in Scotland supported by export demand from the rest of the world and around 125,000 jobs in Scotland supported by export demand from the rest of the EU.
British Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said: "These figures demonstrate clearly the value of the UK market to Scottish businesses, which is worth four times that of the EU market. As we leave the EU, it is vital we maintain the integrity of the UK market and prevent any new barriers to doing business across the UK."
"We have seen recent worrying figures showing the Scottish economy contracting, compared to the UK economy growing overall. So, at this time, it is more important than ever that Scotland's two governments work together."
Around two thirds of Scottish jobs supported by exports to the rest of Britain are in the services sector (more than 328,000), and just under one third are in manufacturing and construction (more than 150,000).
A spokesman for the British government's Scotland Office said Scotland sells goods and services worth 49.8 billion pounds (63.7 billion U.S. dollars) to the rest of Britain, and 12.3 billion pounds to the EU.
The research -- Employment supported by Scottish export demand -- was commissioned by the British government.
