Strong demand from the healthcare and financial services sectors helped boost new job placements to near record levels last month.
The Bank of Scotland’s latest jobs report for December found the fastest growth in permanent job vacancies north of the border since before the recession in July 2007.
Starting salaries for new recruits also increased during the month, with almost 29% of recruitment specialists saying a combination of demand from clients and a shortage in suitable candidates had forced pay higher.
Significantly, the overall rate of pay inflation during the month was the sharpest seen since BoS first collated the jobs report in 2003.
The report also found the fastest rise in temporary appointments in Scotland for three years.
Demand for staff increased across all eight economic sectors identified in the survey, with the healthcare sector leading the way in the recruitment of both permanent and temporary staff.
The accounts and financial and IT industries were also strong in their recruitment activities during the month.
“December’s Barometer showed another marked improvement in the Scottish jobs market,” Donald MacRae, chief economist at Bank of Scotland, said.
“The number of people appointed to both permanent and temporary jobs rose sharply, while the number of vacancies increased strongly, reflecting strong demand from employers,” he added.
“The increase in permanent salaries was the fastest in the 11 years of the survey.
“These results show business confidence in Scotland is on the increase, and suggest the recovery will continue in 2014.”