The number of Scots who are unemployed has fallen by 16,000 between November and January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The country's joblessness rate is now 4.7%, the same as the average across the UK.

Scotland had a higher unemployment rate that the national average for several months.

The ONS data also showed the country's employment rate rose in the same period by 0.4 percentage points to 2,608,000 workers.

Secretary of state for Scotland David Mundell said: "This is good news, with more people in work and unemployment down.

"We want to see this continue and for the Scottish economy to start to close the worrying gap we've seen open up with the rest of the UK."

The Scottish Government said the Scottish economy is outperforming the rest of the UK in several areas.

Employability and training minister Jamie Hepburn said: "While we still have much to do, our work to develop opportunities for young people through apprenticeships and training, and to close the gender pay gap, is helping us set ourselves apart from the rest of the UK.

"In terms of youth unemployment rates, we are second only to Germany within the EU.

"There is no doubt that businesses have faced increased economic uncertainty in the wake of the EU referendum result."

He added: "We have set out our commitment to protecting Scotland's interests, and will now take the steps necessary to ensure that Scotland has a choice of whether to follow the UK to a hard Brexit - or to become an independent country, able to secure a real partnership of equals with the rest of the UK and our own relationship with Europe."