Scotland’s jobs market remains weak despite uptick

Donald MacRae said confidence is holding up

THE number of people placed in permanent or temporary jobs in Scotland rose last month, but the market remains weak, the Bank of Scotland said today.

The lender’s latest Report on Jobs shows that the rate of growth was well below the average seen over the past two-and-a-half years of increasing placements.

While there was strong growth in demand for permanent staff, there was a continued drop in candidate availability, resulting in only a modest rise in permanent placements. Meanwhile, September saw a solid, albeit slower, rise in placements for temporary staff.

Demand for permanent and temporary staff was highest in the IT and computing sector. Average starting salaries rose again last month, in line with the trend since March 2013.

Donald MacRae, chief economist at Bank of Scotland, said: “The number of people appointed to both permanent and temporary jobs rose in September although at a reduced rate compared to last year. Demand for staff grew strongly but increases in starting salaries moderated.

“These results suggest that business confidence in the Scottish economy is holding up despite the slowdown in growth evident earlier in the year.”

The labour market barometer – a composite indicator designed to provide a single-figure snapshot of labour market conditions – rose to 56.6 in September, up from August’s 56.2. Despite the increase, the latest reading was still the second-lowest since May 2013.

According to the report, Dundee recorded the fastest rise in temporary billings, ahead of Edinburgh, while Aberdeen saw a renewed decline.