Scottish councils failed to recruit workers for almost one in four jobs when they were first advertised last year, “alarming” new figures have shown.

The new data shows almost 500 senior positions in local authorities went unfilled when first advertised.

Scottish Conservative finance and local government spokeswoman, Liz Smith, said the failure to find people to fill the jobs shows the need for the Scottish Government to provide a “fair funding settlement” for councils.

Cuts to council services and strikes by some local authority staff could have deterred job hunters from applying, with Ms Smith suggesting people may have concluded local authorities are “no longer secure or attractive employers”.

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According to the data on the 27,619 full-time council positions that were advertised in 2022-23, 6,457 were not filled at the first attempt – with this amounting to 23.4% of jobs advertised.

The figures, from data provided by 30 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, include 485 senior positions which were not initially filled.

According to the data, the council which struggled the most to recruit was North Lanarkshire, with 47% of positions failing to be filled on the first round, followed by Dundee City Council on 40%.

Glasgow had the highest number of senior positions not filled at first attempt last year, with 227 such posts.

Ms Smith said: “These alarming statistics are the inevitable consequence of years of systematic under-funding of Scotland’s local authorities by the SNP Government.

“At first glance it seems inexplicable that our councils are unable to find viable candidates to fill one in every four posts advertised.

“But when these councils are being forced to do more with less by SNP ministers – leading to cuts in essential services and, increasingly, strikes – the public are doubtless concluding they’re no longer secure or attractive employers.

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“It’s not merely lower-paid posts that are proving hard to fill, this total includes almost 500 senior management posts.

“The blame for this lies with the SNP Government, for cutting council funding to the bone, while simultaneously increasing the areas in which the spending of that money is ring-fenced.

“This must stop. It’s time for Humza Yousaf to follow Scottish Conservatives proposals for a fair funding deal for Scottish councils.”

Councils across Scotland are set to make more than £300 million in cuts this year and this has sparked warnings that some local authorities may not be able to provide basic services.

Analysis has shown that 29 Scottish councils intend to make savings this year, with the steepest cuts being made by Aberdeen City Council which has identified over £43 million in savings.

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Data produced by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) earlier this year shows that over a ten-year period, comparing 2023-24 to 2013-14, local government’s provisional revenue settlement has increased by 4.3% in real terms, compared to the overall increase to the Scottish Government’s revenue budget of 8.3%.

In June, Mr Yousaf has signed a deal with councils that aims to “reset the relationship” which has become fraught between the Scottish Government and local authorities.

The Verity House Agreement set out a "default position” of no ringfencing of funds – which has in the past seen the Scottish Government determine how councils spend some of their cash, much to the annoyance of local authorities.

The deal agrees a long-delayed new fiscal framework governing how local authorities' funding is allocated and giving councils greater control over their budgets.

Mr Yousaf said he was committed to building a “stronger relationship with local government, with mutual trust and respect at its core”.

Under the agreement, councils and the Scottish Government will work together to make progress on three key priorities: tackling poverty, achieving a just transition to net zero and the provision of sustainable public services.

And it promised a “positive working relationship” to be based on “mutual trust and respect”.

Cosla, the umbrella organisation for Scottish councils, declined to comment.

The Scottish Government was contacted for comment.