Scottish employment market strengthens in December

Decemberís Bank of Scotland Labour Market Report signalled a strengthening in permanent and temporary staff appointments for the month. Pay rates also rose in December for both permanent salaries and temp hourly wages, driven by strong demand for staff and a lack of skilled candidates.

The reportís labour market barometer rose to a four-month high of 61.4, up from 60.0 in November. The index was above the equivalent barometer for the wider UK economy and was also well above the 50 point no-change level, which signals improving labour market conditions north in Scotland.

Demand was firm across all categories of staff. Engineering and Construction and IT and Computing were the most sought-after types of permanent employee, while Accounts and Financial was the most in-demand category of temp worker.

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