Contractors with niche skills enjoy increased demand and high rates, but skills gap widens
Contractors in niche areas, including engineering and accounting/financial, are in increasing demand as candidate numbers continues to fall. This is according to April 2015’s Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)/KPMG Report on Jobs, which also showed pay growth accelerating for contractors at the fastest rate since July 2007. Although contractor agency billings increased during April, the rise was the slowest for six months. This, coupled with increased demand, falling contractor availability and rising rates suggests that there are not enough suitably skilled contractors to fill available vacancies. More...
Contracting is still viable despite “healthy” growth in employment
Contracting has been an increasingly popular lifestyle choice since the recession, but the CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update May 2015 indicates that the number of people in full-time positions is increasingly “healthy” due to the recovery. In the first three months of this year, the number of people in work rose by 202,000. The majority of people moving into work took up full-time positions with an employer, rather than working for themselves. More...
Contractors in digital technologies sector benefit from strong growth in Scotland
Contractors working in Scotland’s software and IT industries are likely to find themselves in demand at home and overseas, according to the findings of ScotlandIS’ annual survey of 150 organisations. The 80,000 IT professionals in Scotland’s digital tech sector looks set to increase contractor and employee numbers, as 83% of Scotland’s tech firms plan headcount increases. Polly Purvis, chief executive of ScotlandIS, said: “There has never been a better time to get into software and IT. Our industry offers huge opportunities, from founding your own tech start-up to international marketing, as Scottish technology businesses increasingly move into global markets.” More...
Oil and gas contractors could provide stability as market faces job cuts
Oil and gas contractors are in a strong position to plug skills gap while the sector consolidates with further job cuts. Global subsea engineering firm Subsea 7, which employs 1,800 people in Aberdeen, plans to cut up to 410 UK jobs by the end of the year and 2,500 jobs from its total workforce. Subsea 7 vice president for the UK and Canada, Phil Simons, said: “These proposed redundancies follow a continued trend of project delays and cancellations witnessed across the UK's oil and gas industry.” But added: “As we look ahead we need to retain sufficient capacity to execute existing work and win new awards, while maintaining our core expertise in preparation for when the activity levels pick up again.” This comes amidst reports by the BBC that the UK will create 8,000 oil and gas jobs in the next two years, suggesting more openings for contractors down the line. More...
Contractors seeking expat roles could choose Ireland with a “record level” of professional job openings
Contractors in professional services could see a significant increase in contract opportunities, suggest the findings of Morgan McKinley’s April 2015 Irish Employment Monitor. The survey reports “a record number of professional job opportunities” in April. Sectors to watch include IT, HR, accountancy and finance. The monitor reflects “continued confidence both within the indigenous and multinational sectors,” said Karen O’Flaherty, chief operations officer at Morgan McKinley Ireland. More...
Self-employed contractor numbers show marginal increase over previous quarter
Contractors can be modestly optimistic according to the latest Labour Market Statistics report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The report shows self-employed contractor numbers in the quarter to March 2015 were at 4.504m, a marginal increase on the previous quarter. Commenting on the figures, Chris Bryce, IPSE chief executive said: “Payment continues to grow modestly with average earnings staying ahead of inflation. This chimes well with our payment data for the self-employed, who have experienced a small rise in average earnings since the last quarter.” More...
Contracting in oil and gas could be lucrative for technology experts, announces Cisco
Contractors with technology skills could find a new niche as oil and gas companies struggle to gain efficiencies and reduce costs in the face of low oil prices, says a recent Cisco Systems survey published by RigZone. The industry is looking to complete its shift to the internet of everything (IoE) technology, which is the networked connection of people, process, data and things. This trend is supported by news from computerweekly.com that Norwegian oil and gas operators are finding IT skills “critical” to risk management. More...
Construction contractors to benefit from post-election construction boost
Construction and engineering contractor opportunities in the UK’s civil engineering sector should rise in line with a post-election increase in new orders, says the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) workload trends survey for the first quarter of 2015. A Construction Index story shows output slowed slightly in the run up to the general election, but this lull has ended with rising orders at its highest since the start of the economic downturn. The CECA survey predicts a future boom in the sector, which bodes well for contractors. More...
Contractors and self employed shown support from creation of new Ministerial post
Contracting gets another green light as the government promotes Anna Soubry MP to the newly created Minister for Small Business post. Offering congratulations, Chris Bryce, IPSE chief executive said: “The success of the self-employed is vital to the success of the UK economy and this appointment is a positive response to IPSE’s call for a ministerial post for small business to represent our smallest businesses at the heart of government. This news is an encouraging follow-up to the appointment of David Morris as ambassador for the self-employed/freelance sector on National Freelancers Day in November 2014. More...
Contractors make up IT shortfall as workforce diminishes, says CompTIA
Contractors working in the UK’s IT businesses can look forward to long-term positive prospects as IT skills shortages continue. The findings of a report by CompTIA, The International Technology Adoption and Workforce Trends Study that surveyed 1,507 IT executives, showed that 45% of IT clients are currently not able to close their skills gaps. Contractors are ideally positioned to provide short-term solutions to skills gaps while clients secure longer-term solutions. More...