Survey reveals Scotland lagging behind rest of UK for job creation

Manpower attributed the lagging Scottish jobs market to the oil and gas downturn and its effects on the North Sea sector.

The company’s latest Employment Outlook Survey asked UK employers if they planned to take on new workers or cut the size of their payroll in the coming quarter.

Based on 2,100 UK employers responses, the number of firms expecting to grow or reduce their workforces in Scotland is finely balanced.

While a 8 per cent positive score was recorded for Wales and a 10 per cent result for the north-east of England, a zero per cent rating – neither positive or negative – was recorded north of the border.

However, the result means Scotland has emerged from the negative territory it was in three months ago.

A UK average was recorded of 6 per cent.

Manpower UK operations manager Amanda White said: “Last quarter, we reported the fall in oil prices had hit Scotland’s jobs outlook hard and, unfortunately, we have not seen much of an improvement this quarter.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said Manpower’s “claims” were not supported by official figures.

Manpower also said it had identified an acute talent shortage that was jeopardising the UK Government’s target to create 2million jobs over the next five years.