HMRC does not hold vital data that will allow full evaluation of IR35 alternatives
HMRC has revealed that it “does not hold” vital historical data about the implementation of IR35. In responding to a Freedom of Information Act request by ContractorCalculator asking about the costs of the MBF Design Services enquiry, HMRC confirmed that recording the time spent by officers on individual cases was only introduced in the last days of the previous Labour government, in April 2010. This lack of key data may prevent effective evaluation of the IR35 alternatives proposed by the Office of Tax Simplification in its interim Small Business Taxation report. More…
Financial services IT contractors experience 8% increase in contract offers
IT contractors working in the UK’s financial services sector have seen contract offers increase by 8% over the last 12 months, and by 3% from January to February. This is according to data released by pre-employment checks firm Powerchex, which also revealed that IT contract offers had dropped by 80% the previous month. “We are …seeing some stabilisation in the number of confirmed appointments within [financial services],” explains Powerchex MD Alexandra Kelly. “While this is good news for those looking for contracting opportunities, things have a way to go to recover in this area.” More…
IT contractors see stable market conditions in London’s financial sector
Financial services IT contractors in London experienced flat but stable market conditions in February, according to the Morgan McKinley London Employment Monitor. Across the board financial service job opportunities month-on-month fell by 2%, but increased by 11% compared to the same period last year. Prospects for contractors in the first quarter are positive, says Morgan McKinley Financial Services COO Andrew Evans: “An upward trend in hiring activity in Q1 is typical…; looking at February 11 compared to a year ago, job opportunities rose by a healthy 11% and the number of available roles was the second highest in the past six months.” More…
Digital freelancers see seven-fold increase in public sector business
Digital freelancers and contractors have seen a seven-fold increase over the last 12 months in the amount of work commissioned by the public sector. The figures published by PeoplePerHour.com show that the public sector is “waking-up to the cost-saving potential of outsourcing to freelancers.” PeoplePerHour founder and CEO Xenios Thrasyvoulou explains: “Since the government started slashing budgets, the public sector has been forced to find a more cost-effective and efficient approach to human resources. It's clear from our figures that the public sector has learnt a lot from the private sector about the benefits of using freelancers.” More…
Contract opportunities in UK oil and gas set to mushroom, with up to 15,000 new posts required
Oil and gas contract opportunities are forecast to grow dramatically over the next five years, with up to £40bn being invested in the UK oil and gas sector. Some oil majors are reported to be planning to recruit hundreds of new workers. Research by industry body OPITO (formerly known as the UK’s Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation) predicts demand for engineers and managers will outstrip supply. OPITO MD David Binnie confirms that the investment will create new contracts: “This is without a doubt a startling set of opportunities and our estimates suggest that over 15,000 new posts will be required over the next five years to deliver these project plans.” More…
Interim management contractors see gender pay gap vanish
Interim management contractors have been hit by the economic downturn, but the gender pay gap has all but vanished. Survey results from interim recruitment specialist Executives Online confirm that the 16% pay gap experienced by female interims in 2007 has shrunk to almost nothing. Female interims at a senior level also have greater opportunities than their permanent counterparts, accounting for 15% of all interim management contractors, compared to just 7.8% of FTSE 250 board roles being held by women. More…
Self-employment increases as more workers choose contracting
The UK’s number of self-employed workers, including contractors and freelancers, increased by 11,000 to 3.983m from November to January 2011, against a backdrop of rising unemployment. The latest Labour Market Statistics from the Office of National Statistics also show that older workers are remaining in, or returning to, employment: there are now 900,000 over 65s working, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1992. Average earnings were 2.3% higher than a year ago, suggesting that contractors rates may be marginally improving, but that figure is still below headline inflation. More…
APSCo hosts seminar on the Agency Workers Regulations
Contractors working via APSCo (Association of Professional Staffing Companies) member agencies may find their recruiters being able to offer additional insights into the proposed scope and impact of the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR). APSCo members are meeting at the end of March with representatives from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to delve into the AWR’s implementation. More… [registration required]