Thousands of construction jobs are to be supported through a multi-billion pound investment by Scottish Water.

The publicly-owned company is beginning a six-year programme to boost its infrastructure and it is thought 5,000 construction jobs will be created as a result.

The project is expected not only to enhance the quality of drinking water but bring added environmental benefits.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to officially announce the programme in Glasgow this morning alongside the head of Scottish Water and company apprentices.

The news from Scottish Water comes as Capita announced plans to create 200 new jobs in Glasgow.

The company said it was expanding its Scottish IT and customer management divisions, based at its Skypark offices.

And yesterday, First Minister Alex Salmond said thousands of jobs had been created or safeguarded in Scotland in the past six months as a result of investment by American firms.

The First Minister said 5,833 jobs were sustained as a result of support through the government's economic development agency Scottish Enterprise in the first two quarters of 2014-15.

He added almost half of the positions, some 2,572, were a result of investment by US firms.

Mr Salmond also confirmed Hyspec Engineering Holdings Ltd is hoping to create 84 new jobs in Scotland as part of a significant expansion project. The oil and gas firm will relocate to new premises at the Moorfield Industrial Estate in Kilmarnock.

The investment aims to increase the firm's manufacturing capabilities and contribute to an overall rise in revenue of almost 130 per cent by 2018 to £28 million.

Hyspec has been aided by a £1.1 million grant from the Scottish Government's investment agency Scottish Enterprise.

Mr Salmond said: "This expansion is testament to the attractiveness of Scotland as a location for investors, thanks to the skills of our people, a competitive cost base and a well-developed business infrastructure.

"This is a fantastic jobs boost for Kilmarnock and we look forward to working with this rapidly expanding company as they continue to grow and prosper in Scotland."

Jim English, general manager at Hyspec, said it was the firm's intention to grow its site by 100 per cent in revenue terms over the next five years.

Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, added: "This represents a huge opportunity for both Hyspec and the rest of the oil and gas supply chain and we are working to ensure our economy benefits from a share of this market."

Meanwhile, a new report published today warns take-home pay for UK workers will still lag behind pre-economic crisis levels three years from now.

The EY Item Club, an economic forecasting group, warned households facing a lost decade of real wage growth which will mean consumer spending growth will be low by historic standards. This will affect consumer-orientated businesses in particular, it added.

EY Item Club believes the supply of workers will continue to grow at a robust rate.

Even though the employment rate has already exceeded its pre-crisis peak, the report says that strong growth in employment will continue.

As a consequence, it is likely annual wage growth over the next three years will remain well below the 4.5-5 per cent rates typical before 2008.

Martin Beck, senior economic adviser at EY Item Club said: "Total household incomes have strengthened because more people are in work but individuals do not have extra money in their pockets.

"Real wages are being held back by strong growth in the supply of workers and the fact that firms are facing increased non-wage costs, such as new pension schemes. "

We expect this trend to continue for several years to come."