Within the UK and Europe, contracting opportunities appear to be growing according to a number of reports, with the UK being the most attractive for the self employed and contractors looking for rewarding opportunities.
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills conducted a study into the rate of self employment in the UK; reports showed that there has been an increase of 51per cent since 2000 and now stands at 5.2 million self employed workers in the UK.
“The landscape, as it stands, looks promising for contractors. More people are providing services on their terms and the economy as a whole is benefitting,” highlights Contractor Calculator CEO Dave Chaplin.
According to research conducted by Kingston University, commissioned by IPSE, within the self employed sector, contractors account for around a third, and have risen to an estimated 1.88 million, an 8.7 per cent rise in the previous year alone.
The House of Lords Personal Service Companies Evidence document suggests that, there are currently 1.56 million contractors operating within the UK. It is said that the UK’s economy values the contribution of the self employed and freelancers to the tune of £95 billion (circa 2013).
This recent period of sustained growth looks to continue into the foreseeable future and is said to be down to the correlation between contractor numbers and the ability to cope better with the economic crisis.
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