Permanent job placements in Scotland have grown at their fastest rate in more than four years, a report has found.

The latest Royal Bank of Scotland Jobs for Scotland report said the growth rate in September was the highest since July 2014 and outstripped the UK as a whole.

The survey of around 100 recruitment agencies also found a sharp rise in temporary staff appointments.

Both permanent and short-term vacancies increased while the supply of candidates worsened, with available candidates for permanent posts at the lowest level for seven months.

Short-term staff availability dropped at the steepest rate since June 2015 and the rate of decline in staff supply in both types of positions was worse than the UK average.

Starting salaries for permanent staff hit an eight-month high and wages paid to newly appointed temporary workers also increased.

Business Minister Jamie Hepburn welcomed the report but warned Brexit threatens the performance of Scotland’s labour market.

He said: “Recruiters are telling us the number of people securing permanent work is growing strongly in Scotland and there has been sustained growth in pay.

“They are signalling that both demand for staff and job creation, permanent and temporary, is growing more quickly in Scotland than in the UK and results from our latest labour market statistics also showed we are outperforming the UK on employment, unemployment and inactivity rates for women and young people.”