Scottish Jobs Slip

Scotland's jobs outlook has fallen to its lowest level in two years, according to Manpower UK.

The survey is based on responses from 2, 1000 UK employers.

At -1% Scotland is the only region in the UK with an outlook in negative territory. It's being blamed on the falling price of oil.
 
Amanda White, Operations Manager at Manpower UK said: “Scotland’s jobs Outlook is at its most pessimistic level in two years and is eight points lower than it was heading into last year’s independence referendum. The energy industry provides employment for around 200,000 people across Scotland and the recent fall in oil price has hit Scottish jobs hard, with the economy of its third largest city, Aberdeen, reliant on the sector. As well as an overall fall in the number of jobs available, we have also seen salaries impacted. For example, pay in Aberdeen has dropped, after a period of higher salaries driven by a booming resources sector. The jobs market in Grangemouth also looks less rosy this quarter, as, coupled with the fall in oil price, the industrial roles that provide much of the employment for the area have also decreased.
 
“However, there are some glimmers of hope in Scotland, with Edinburgh and Glasgow seeing moderate growth in customer service roles in the Financial Services sector. While this is not enough to offset the dip into negative territory overall in Scotland, it is good news for strong candidates with the right skills and previous experience in the sector who are in demand for full time, permanent roles.”