Professional jobs availability in the Scotland has increased 9% in the 12 months to March 2016, according to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). The data, provided by recruitment software company, Innovantage, revealed that a number of sectors are experiencing considerable growth. Advertising increased by 12% year on year while the construction and property sector experienced an uplift of 13%.

Commenting on the data, Diane Turnbull, Membership Relations Manager for Scotland, said:  “A number of factors bore influence on Scottish hiring sentiment in the past few months, in particular global market stability and fears over tumbling oil prices. While the latter remains an ongoing concern for many businesses in Scotland, the region has shown positive signs of growth, and remains resilient even against the headwinds of an EU referendum.”

“Scotland’s commercial property market is thriving and the value of overseas investment was up 33% year on year in Q1 of 2016, with estate agent Savills estimating that a total of £662.6 million was invested across the region in this period. This investment is extremely positive for job growth and is likely to continue to boost professional job availability in the coming months. As one of the region’s biggest creative industries, with a turnover of £438 million, it’s no surprise that the Scottish Affairs Committee is striving to create better support for the advertising sector. A recent report highlighted the need for closer co-operation between Scotland’s creative sectors and those of the rest of the UK, a move that would undoubtedly boost employment across Britain.”