The results of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) JobsOutlook Survey for February 2016 have just been released, and it’s good news for contractors! Demand for services continues, as clients take advantage of the economic upturn to deal with any skills gaps they have and to plan for future growth.
The survey showed that just over three quarters (77%) of respondents feel market conditions are improving, while 98% said they planned to increase, or at least maintain, the number of contractors they have over the next three months – and 95% said the same when looking at the next year.
The survey also showed that contractors are no longer just seen as a stopgap to cover for shortages in full time employees, but instead are being valued for their specialist expertise. 90% of those interviewed said that it was important for their businesses to have short term access to strategic skills – which is half as many more than two years ago, when only 60% felt this was a factor.
One last very positive finding was that companies are increasingly valuing contractors for their own merits, and not just seeing them as a way of saving money. Back in January 2014, 63% of clients said that they used contractors in this way, while today that figure stands at just 49%.
If you are interested in making the move to contracting, please call our New Business Team on 01253 362062 or email craig.whelan@nixonwilliams.com for further information.