Vacancies in Scotland rise 12 per cent year-on-year

The data, provided by recruitment software company, Innovantage, also reveals that demand for contractors increased by 15% over the same period.

Permanent vacancies within the manufacturing and engineering sector were notably strong, increasing by 17 per cent year-on-year, while openings for accounting and finance interims also rose significantly, growing by 20 per cent.

This data comes following official figures which show that the Scottish economy grew nearly four times faster than the rest of the UK in the first quarter of this year, which Scotland’s Chief Statistician has attributed to a boost in the manufacturing sector.

Moya Rylands, Regional Director at APSCo said: “Professional job availability in Scotland continues to grow at an impressive pace and, as our data shows, much of this strength can be attributed to demand within manufacturing and engineering.”

“The country has an impressive history in these sectors and continues to lead innovation in the area. While long established firms such as Babcock Marine and Thales still produce and supply defence equipment locally, the region’s pioneering spirit continues to drive demand for engineering professionals, with firms such as Clyde Space replacing ship-building by developing satellites. Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that the latest quarterly survey by the Scottish Engineering industry group shows 44% of firms saw a rise in UK orders over the past three months – marking a fourth consecutive quarter of growth.”

“Demand for accounting professionals to work on a contract basis is also increasing, which is reflective of wider sector growth. According to Insider’s 2016 audit of Scotland’s accountancy sector, all of the country’s top ten largest firms by staff numbers have increased their headcount over the past year and together the ‘Big Four’ now employ 3,460 staff in Scotland, over 12% more than they did in 2014.”