The jobs market is better north of the border than in any other part of Britain, the Scotsman reports.

A survey from the Bank of Scotland found that staff demand is higher in Scotland than the rest of the UK, marking the sixth month in a row when labour conditions have been stronger than the average for Britain as a whole.

The bank found that the most sought after permanent staffers are professionals and executives, followed in quick pursuit by IT staff. Engineers and construction workers are the most hotly contested temporary workers in the country.

"The Scottish labour market continues to perform better than the UK average, boosted by firm demand for staff by employers in Scotland," said Tim Crawford, economist for the Bank of Scotland.

He added that "the latest data also suggests pay pressures continued to build in October, as average salaries posted their strongest rise in seven months".

The news came after a study commissioned for VisitScotland estimated that an avian flu outbreak could hit the Scottish economy to the tune of £26 billion, the Sunday Herald reports.

It found that, in a worse case scenario, an outbreak could reduce the nation's international tourism by 70 to 90 per cent.