By Karen Peattie
PERMANENT staff appointments across Scotland picked up considerably during April with the rate of increase the fastest since July 2014 and the second-strongest on record, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs.
Amid reports of surging demand for staff due to more favourable economic conditions, temp billings also rose at the start of the second quarter, the uptick “generally linked by recruiters to firmer demand for staff in April”, the report noted.
Stronger demand for staff was also reflected in the number of vacancies although for the third month in a row, Scottish recruiters registered a decrease in the availability of permanent candidates during April – the latest fall in permanent staff supply being the most marked since March 2020.
Respondents noted that jobseekers remained uncertain of switching roles due to the pandemic.
The trend in Scotland mirrored that seen at UK level, which saw a steeper fall in permanent availability during April.
The supply of temporary staff across Scotland also fell further during April and "signalled a modest decline in temp candidate availability overall".
Sebastian Burnside, chief economist at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “The Scottish labour market continued to perform strongly into the second quarter of the year.
"Permanent appointments rose at the second-fastest rate since the survey began in 2003, while temp billings rose solidly with anecdotal evidence noting that firms were upping their hiring activity due to better economic conditions.
“Further positive signs came from vacancies data which highlighted further surges in demand for both short-term and permanent staff – a clear indication that companies across Scotland are stepping up their hiring efforts in line with the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
“The switch towards hiring permanent staff may also reflect improved confidence and a clearer outlook among Scottish firms.
"Overall, the data point to a sustained recovery of the labour market, as businesses anticipate a return to more normal business conditions over the summer.”
In addition, April data highlighted a further steep rise in average salaries awarded to permanent new joiners across Scotland.
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