The unemployment rate in Scotland has fallen below the UK average, latest statistics have shown.

Office for National Statistics figures show the rate of unemployment in Scotland is now 4.7% compared with the total UK rate of 4.9%.

The figures also illustrate that Scotland had its largest growth in employment figures in a single quarter, with a rise of 55,000 in the period taking the country's total workforce to 2,631,000.

The news was welcomed by both the Scottish and UK governments.

Economy, jobs and fair work minister Keith Brown, said: "As the First Minister stated when launching the programme for government earlier this month, the Scottish Government is determined to build an economy where everyone has a fair chance to contribute and share in the benefits of economic growth.

"These encouraging figures continue to show that the fundamentals of the Scottish economy are strong, with a 51,000 rise in the employment level and a drop of just over 1 percentage point in the unemployment rate over the quarter, taking it below that of the UK average."

Brown warned, however, that Scotland leaving the EU poses a "a real and direct risk to continued economic recovery".

Scottish secretary David Mundell also raised the UK's forthcoming exit from the EU in his response to the labour market statistics.

Mundell said: "Today's figures are welcome news. They show a near-record high of over 2.6 million people in work, with Scotland's employment having risen by over 51,000 between May and July.

"Unemployment is down to its lowest level since 2008, bringing the Scottish rate down to 4.7%, lower than the UK rate of 4.9%.

"These improvements put Scotland, and the whole of the UK, on a strong footing as we approach the ‎negotiations to exit the European Union.

"But there is no room for complacency - we must make sure that we continue to work with the Scottish Government and other partners to continue to boost Scotland's economy and prosperity."