More than a quarter of businesses admit they are uncertain what the future holds, a shock Scottish Government has found.

According to the latest statistics, 25.4 per cent of companies asked are unsure if they would have to make redundancies in next three months as the country recovers from the devastating coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1,200 firms across a number of sectors in Scotland were questioned in the Business Insights and Conditions Survey between April 6 and April 18.

Of those firms running accommodation and food services 45.7 per cent were uncertain of job losses, while 30.5 per cent in admin and support services were not sure.

Businesses across Scotland have been hit hard by the pandemic
Businesses across Scotland have been hit hard by the covid pandemic

A total of 71 per cent of those asked said they had no plans to make any redundancies, while just 3.6 per cent said they probably would over next three months.

Advice Direct Scotland, the country’s national advice service which runs advice.scot, said employees should be aware of their rights even in the middle of a pandemic, and urged anyone with concerns to access their services.

Marjorie Gibson, head of operations with Advice Direct Scotland, said: "The past year has been an unsettling time for everyone, and this survey shows the uncertainty levels among businesses across the country are still considerable.

"It’s important that employers are aware of their duty of care and legal responsibility, and that workers know their rights.

Sign up to our Politics newsletter

Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.

We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on how our governments are handling the coronavirus pandemic.

To sign up, simply enter your email address into the pink box near the top of this article.

Alternatively, you can visit our newsletter sign up-centre. Once you are there, enter your email address and select Politics and any other Daily Record newsletters that are of interest.

"The Covid pandemic has been devastating for the economy, but the fundamental rights for employees remain the same.

"Anyone who’s concerned about being made redundant can contact Advice Direct Scotland for guidance on their rights and what to do next."