Latest research has revealed that UK employers are increasingly turning to temporary workers, such as contractors in order to fill vacancies, rather than hiring permanent staff.
The survey was carried out by the UK’s leading professional recruitment industry body, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).
The new study has come as great news to freelancers working in the UK, as the research shows that the number of temping and contractor job roles was 7 per cent higher compared to this time last year – where as permanent vacancies were found to be 5 per cent lower.
Ann Swain, chief executive at APSCo, said, “This switch from permanent to temporary recruitment demonstrates how the UK’s professional recruitment market can respond flexibly to changes in the broader UK economy.”
“With the deepest double dip recession in 50 years, and amid on-going uncertainty over the Eurozone, employers’ confidence has taken a real dive. Many have turned to temporary workers in order to maintain their capacity, whilst not yet committing to any longer term increase in their overheads.”
According to the APSCo survey, the IT and finance sector is showing a strong recovery in both the permanent and contractor sectors. However, it is the temporary market that are experiencing the strongest demand, with IT placements increasing by 16 per cent overall, and the accounting and finance placements rose by 18 per cent, compared to 12 months ago.
Ms Swain added, “IT and finance and accounting were two sectors hardest hit by the recruitment slump at the end of 2011. It could be that businesses in these sectors had put the brakes on their hiring, but subsequently found that they needed to bolster their workforce to handle spikes in demand for their services.”
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SJD Accountancy – who has written 384 posts on SJD Accountancy Blog.
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