Starting pay for permanent jobs in Scotland 'up sharply'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-32350938

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Starting pay for permanent jobs has seen its sharpest rise this year, according to a new report.

The latest Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs suggested the rise last month in part reflected a lack of available candidates.

The increase was only fractionally below that recorded at the UK level.

However, there was no change in average hourly pay rates for temporary staff, following 24 consecutive months of growth.

The report also found that the number of people placed in permanent jobs by recruitment consultancies north of the border increased for the 25th straight month.

But the rate of growth was slower than in February and weaker than the UK average.

Demand for staff also rose but at a slower rate.

Salary growth

Scotland's best performing jobs categories in terms of demand for permanent staff were nursing/medical/care and IT and computing.

However, temporary staff demand in Scotland slowed to its weakest rate of growth for two years.

The report suggested that the rate of decline in permanent candidate availability quickened.

Meanwhile, temp candidate availability fell for the 23rd consecutive month.

Bank of Scotland chief economist Donald MacRae said: "Conditions in the Scottish labour market continued to improve in March this year.

"The number of people appointed to jobs increased while the number of vacancies grew over the month.

"The rate of growth in starting salaries for permanent jobs recovered strongly from February's 15-month low.

"This barometer suggests the slowdown in growth in January to March will be reversed in the coming months."