The jobless figure increased by 100

But Scotland Office statistics also show the number of people in Scotland claiming unemployment benefit went up by 100 in February, to 99,600.

However, the headline figure fell by 2,600 over the last year, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 4%.

Under the government's preferred set of figures, unemployment in Scotland has fallen to 147,000, its lowest level since records began.

Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell welcomed the figures and said they were proof of the government's successful economic management.

Complacency warning

She said: "The underlying trend of falling unemployment is encouraging, but there is no room for complacency.

"Scotland is not immune to global economic challenges, but we benefit from a stable UK macro-economic policy framework.

"This government is committed to providing the right economic conditions to encourage growth and employment in Scotland."

Under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) figures, the government's preferred statistics, unemployment in Scotland was 147,000 - 23,000 down on a year ago.

According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the seasonally unadjusted number of people in Scotland in work between November last year and January was 2,430,000 - an increase of 58,000 on the same period a year ago.