The research found that the number of advertisements fell by 14.4% month-on-month.

The findings, which explore job market data from November 2019 and compare this with the previous month, also reveal that Glasgow experienced the biggest dip in vacancies, with an 18.2% fall. This is followed by a 17.2% drop in Aberdeen, a 15% decrease in Edinburgh and an 11.1% fall in Dundee.

What’s more, despite the dip in advertised jobs, Scottish employers have hiked their pay up considerably, with average salaries for new roles rising by 34.9% in November.

Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV-Library, said: “Uncertainty around the general election and the outcome of Brexit has evidently taken a toll on the Scottish job market, especially with the SNP urging for an independence vote.

“At the same time, employers understand that in order to entice professionals out of their current jobs, they need to offer competitive salaries; especially when hiring for any urgent positions. This makes for a very tense job market right now.”

Interestingly, it isn’t just employers putting on the brakes this month. In fact, job applications also fell by 10.2% month-on-month. Aberdeen experienced the largest fall in applications, with a 17.9% drop, while Edinburgh (down 10.5%), Dundee (down 10.3%) and Glasgow (down 7.8%) also saw decreases month-month. 

Mr Biggins added: “It’s important to remember that while these numbers are certainly exacerbated by the current political climate, this time of year is usually quieter for recruitment across the board. Because of this, it’s a good time to take stock of where your company is currently at and start thinking about your future hiring needs. In doing so, you’ll ensure that you’re ready to recruit when the dust has settled after the general election and when many candidates will be looking for a change after the Christmas period.”