The salaries of contractors and other professionals could be set to rise as the "war for talent heats up".

Dave Fleming, sales director at Badenoch & Clark, said that wages are likely to see a hike in the coming months as employers compete to get the top talent working for them.

"Many employers are searching harder than ever before for talent - and as competition for talent increases, demand is likely to rise accordingly. This can only be a good thing for candidates looking to move in the first half of the year," he said.

Meanwhile, the REC/KPMG Report on Jobs found that hourly rates of pay for short-term workers decreased in January from the previous month's levels.

Additionally, contracting staff availability improved at a significant pace while the supply of staff to fill permanent positions remained stable after three months of growth.