Bank of Scotland jobs barometer shows further growth

Scotland's jobs market showed "continuing improvement" in January, according to an analysis by Bank of Scotland economists.

The bank's long-running labour market barometer showed an increase in people getting permanent jobs but it was at the slowest rate for three months.

Vacancies for staff also rose, particularly for temps, and this helped average pay to increase.

Salaries for permanent staff rose at the fastest rate since May 2012.

The labour market barometer is designed to provide a single figure snapshot of conditions.

In the report, any figure above 50 is indicative of an improvement in conditions compared to the month before.

In January, it was given an index figure of 53.9, above its long-run series average.

However, it was down from December's 19-month high of 56.0.

Donald MacRae, chief economist at the bank, said: "The number of people placed into permanent jobs remained strong while vacancies for both permanent and temporary staff grew in the month.

"Demand for permanent staff was highest in engineering and construction, suggesting a modest pick-up in activity in this crucial sector in the coming spring.

"These results reinforce the hope that the Scottish economy enjoyed moderate growth in January 2013."