Demand for IT contractors increases by 21.2% over 12 months
There were 21.2% more IT contract assignments advertised in the first quarter of 2012, compared to the same period a year ago. The latest Quarterly update by salaryservices and JobAdsWatch.co.uk also shows IT contract vacancies up by 6.6% in Q1 2012 compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. The top skills demanded by clients from IT contractors are developers with SQL, C and C#. The financial sector continues to be the single largest consumer of IT contractors, accounting for 21.4% of all those advertised in the quarter. More…
Limited company contractors in the public sector to be “compelled” to go on “staff”
Limited company contractors in the public sector may be compelled to go on the payroll, according to a letter from Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander to Chancellor George Osborne. This follows a review of the use of interims in the public sector conducted by Alexander following the Ed Lester affair. The letter, revealed to the BBC’s Newsnight programme, suggests that Alexander is “shocked” by his findings and suggests board members and senior officials join the government payroll. Former tax inspector Alastair Kendrick told the BBC the additional costs of employment could cost taxpayers millions. More…
Limited company contractor public sector witch hunt could harm core NHS services
IT contractors are responsible for ensuring that vital NHS services continue to be delivered and underpin the NHS’s global leadership position in incorporating the latest technology to improve healthcare provision. This is according to Don Tomlinson, managing director of specialist NHS-only recruiter max20. “Without limited company contractors, delivery of existing IT systems and development work would grind to a halt,” warns Tomlinson. More…
Engineering, IT and accountancy demand outperforms UK jobs market
Demand for workers in IT, engineering and accountancy has outperformed the national April Reed Job Index. The energy sector has also bounced back, reporting a 50% increase in demand compared to a year ago. “The creation of new jobs in growth areas, such as energy, engineering and automotive, is helping give the recovery the momentum it needs,” explains reed.co.uk managing director Martin Warnes.
Manufacturing hiring improves contractor fortunes for the fourth successive month
Contractors with clients in the manufacturing sector have seen increased hiring for a fourth successive month, as output in the sector increased again in April. The Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) shows growth slowing, but still well into positive territory. Export orders fell sharply in the period, but higher output and new product lines are generating fresh assignments.
Construction continues to defy official statistics by providing more contracts
Construction contractors continue to benefit from growth-fuelled increases in hiring in the sector, according to The Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for April. All three areas of the sector – commercial, civil engineering and housing – experienced growth, although in housing it was only marginal. Despite the results of this survey, recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data suggests it was a significant slowdown in construction activity that pushed the UK into a technical recession in the first quarter of 2012.
Recruitment watchdog shows it teeth, again, safeguarding contractor interests
The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate, an agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has shown contractors for the second time in as many weeks that it will use its power to clamp down on rogue agencies. A recruiter supplying seafarers was fined and ordered to pay costs by a Liverpool Magistrates court for withholding or failing to pay its workers. “[This] result sends out the message loud and clear that we continue to take action against rogue recruiters who flout the law,” said employment relations minister Norman Lamb. More…
HMRC increases tax revenue collected to £466bn for the 2011-2012 financial year
HMRC raised £466.2bn for the Exchequer during the 2011-2012 financial year, up by £19.05bn compared to the revenue raised in 2010-2011. April’s HMRC Tax & National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Receipts shows that income tax and NICs accounted for 54% of the total, falling by 1% from the previous year. Corporation tax, including from limited company contractors, accounted for 9% of the total. Over the ten years from 2001 to 2011, income tax and NICs have typically contributed 55% of the UK’s overall tax take with VAT at 19% and corporation tax at 10%.
Oil and gas and wind energy contractors start North Sea collaboration
Oil and gas contractors have started offering their offshore engineering skills to the wind energy sector in a series of new collaborations between offshore wind energy developers and oilfield services companies. According to a Bloomberg report by Kari Lundgren, services firms Technip, Subsea 7 and Petrofac have all launched renewable energy units. “The offshore wind developers are now seeing the value of having the oil and gas companies getting involved,” Subsea7 Renewables Vice President Bob Dunsmore told Bloomberg. More…
New toolkit for contractors considering business growth by employing workers
Contractors thinking about growing their contracting business and hiring new employees have a new online toolkit to guide them through the process. Hosted by Business Link, the tool explains how to register workers, check pay rates and create a statement of employment. It also shows budding ‘contractor-preneurs’ how to check whether the worker is entitled to work in the UK. HMRC’s anticipated business entity test, which can score contractors taking on staff highly, may lead to an increase in contractor limited companies taking on staff. More…