Temporary vacancies rise by 43 per cent year-on-year in Scotland

The data, provided by recruitment software company, Innovantage, revealed that in addition to the 43 per cent uplift in temporary vacancies, a number of sectors continue to perform well in both the temporary and permanent markets. Demand for professional contractors rose significantly across a number of sectors including accounting and IT, which increased by 37 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.

Diane Turnbull, Membership Relations Manager for Scotland at APSCo, said: “After the slight dip experienced in permanent demand throughout July, no doubt partially as a result of the uncertainty caused by the outcome of the EU referendum, demand in the temporary market has continued along the upward trend experienced in recent months. Hiring sentiment is showing strong signs of positivity across a range of key economic sectors, with recent figures from the Office for National Statistics indicating that employment rose to 74.5 per cent in the three months to July, the highest since comparable records began in 1971.”

“Demand for temporary professionals in the accountancy sector rose by 37 per cent year on year to August, with PwC recently indicating that its revenues in Scotland grew by 12 per cent in the year to June 2016, faster than the growth rate experienced throughout the entire UK. The IT sector is also experiencing increased demand for temporary professionals, with professional job availability rising 36 per cent year on year. The Scottish IT sector will likely see this demand continue to rise with 27 Scottish local authorities recently joining forces to appoint a chief digital officer and chief technology officer to drive forward digital transformation.”