Almost three quarters of oil and gas workers are considering looking for work outside the UK as the North Sea industry continues to suffer from plunging oil prices.

Research by a leading industry website found that 71 per cent of respondents are thinking about a move overseas citing fears over job security as their main reason for turning their backs on Scotland.

More than half of Scotland-based respondents to the Rigzone survey reported a lack of confidence in their career prospects over the next five years, with few able to see a bright future of the industry with low oil prices predicted to last for years to come.

And 45 per cent of people working in Scotland, and 44 per cent of those working elsewhere in the UK, have little confidence in the ability of tax cuts announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the Budget last month to stimulate investment in the North Sea.

The North Sea oil industry has been badly hit by the falling price of oil, with prices tumbling to below £50 a barrel. Many jobs were cut at the start of the year as firms slimmed down their operations, while contractor positions were also axed.

Analysis by Oil & Gas UK, sector skills organisation OPITO and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills previously estimated the number of jobs supported by the industry will slump from around 375,000 currently to 340,000 in 2019.

Offshore drilling operator KCA Deutag cut 230 North Sea jobs, amounting to 30 onshore support positions in Aberdeen with a further 200 offshore positions lost as a result of two clients pausing drilling operations.

The company also proposed a 5 per cent salary reduction to employees, saying that a further 500 positions worldwide are at risk.

Oil giant BP announced in January it is to cut 200 jobs and 100 contractor roles following a review of its operations, following ConocoPhillips announcing, which cut 230 jobs, while Shell cut 250 jobs last August, and Chevron lost 225 in July.

The slump has also affected property prices with a report this week saying average rents had fallen in recent months.

Mark Guest, international managing director of Rigzone, said: "Oil and gas professionals are highly mobile.

"If assurances cannot be given by the industry about the mid to long-term career opportunities in the UK's off-shore market, our survey indicates that many professionals may simply look for work elsewhere.

"This could exacerbate recruitment issues in the sector at a time when the industry has already highlighted a shortage of engineering students graduating from British universities."

The UK Government's £1.3 billion package of support includes a cut to the supplementary charge on oil industry companies' profits from 30 per cent to 20 per cent and a reduction in petroleum revenue tax from 50 per cent to 35 per cent next year.

A tax allowance is to be introduced to stimulate investment in the North Sea alongside a £20 million fund for new surveys of the UK continental shelf (UKCS) aimed at boosting exploration.

The survey of 963 oil and gas professionals across the UK found only 17 per cent believe the initiatives will be enough to stimulate meaningful investment in North Sea exploration over the next five years, with 38 per cent undecided.

A majority of Scotland-based respondents said a return to stable oil prices was more important than government policy to boost UK offshore reserves.

Across the UK, 78 per cent of respondents expressed support for Norway's approach to stimulating exploration, whereby companies can claim back up to 78 per cent of exploration spending.

Less than half (44 per cent) favoured introducing a Norwegian-style wealth fund for oil production taxes, with 41 per cent saying they feel it is too late to introduce such a system.