The Scottish labour market continued to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in February, with hiring activity rising, according to the Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs .
The number of people looking for temporary work continued to rise, as more people lost their jobs.
While the market is on an upward trend, uncertainty is discouraging people from moving jobs, leading to wage stagnation.
This was the 11th consecutive monthly rise in people looking for temporary jobs.
Hiring activity rose last month, with upturns in both permanent and temporary placements, as businesses adapted to Covid-19 restrictions, RBS found.
The report showed that starting salaries rose at a much slower pace during February.
While the demand for permanent staff increased for the first time in a year, the supply of candidates dipped, with recruiters saying people were reluctant to pursue new roles due to heightened uncertainty.
Sebastian Burnside, chief economist at RBS parent NatWest Group, said: “February data provided further positive signs for the Scottish labour market, as hiring activity continued to rise despite ongoing lockdown measures.
“Moreover, the upturns in both temp billings and permanent placements gathered pace over the month.
“All in all, this is good news for job-seekers - with more roles available, we should see further increases in placements over the coming months and if the trend continues, the labour market will make good progress in its recovery.”
The data was collected from about 100 Scottish recruitment and employment consultancies between 11 and 22 February.
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