The latest PMI data for Scotland has showed reasons for optimism, as the country enters the final quarter.

Businesses took on additional staff for the first time in four months and expectations for the coming year strengthened, according to the headline Royal Bank of Scotland Growth Tracker .

This marked only the second instance when staffing levels have risen in the past 10 months. The upturn was centred on services firms, where businesses highlighted the successful onboarding of apprentices and contractors.

Nonetheless, business activity slowed – contrasting with a positive spike witnessed in August.

The seasonally-adjusted index, which measures month-on-month changes in the combined output of the manufacturing and service sectors, slipped back below the neutral threshold of 50 in Se

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