Contractor, temp and self-employed numbers surge
Contractors, temporary workers and the self-employed now make up a higher share of the UK’s workforce than before the recession. According to Navigating Choppy Waters, the CBI/Harvey Nash Employment Trends Survey, the number of contractors and temps fell sharply as the recession started and organisations chose to retain core staff. As the recession eased, the survey says that contractor and temp numbers climbed, “with firms looking to meet staffing needs flexibly in an uncertain economic environment”. More…
Rates have fallen and the gender pay gap has widened, says Parasol survey
Average hourly rates for umbrella company contractors have fallen from £34.41 in June 2010 to £33.12 in June 2011. This is according to the latest Insight Index published by umbrella solutions provider Parasol, and based on surveys of its client base of over 16,000 contractors. The Index also shows that the gender pay gap has increased, with male contractors earning £3,225.38 a year more than their female counterparts. Another finding is that umbrella company contractors over the age of 35 typically earn £10 an hour more than their younger counterparts. More…
Contractor demand growth maintained in Scotland: ‘marked’ rise in IT worker demand
Contractor demand growth continues to increase in Scotland, as May’s Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs shows the labour market north of the border has yet to experience the growth slow-down experienced in the rest of the UK. Demand for IT contractors and permanent IT professionals showed a “marked” rise, and engineering and construction experienced “robust increases”. Dundee, one of the UK’s centres of games development, saw the strongest increase in contracts awarded. More…
Contractors can boost professional skills, and potentially contract rates, with e-skills UK
IT contractors can boost their professional IT skills and potentially increase their market value by investing £95 per year with The National Skills Academy for IT. As part of e-skills UK, the Academy has made available online courses, e-books, ‘Test Preps’ and ExpressGuides. The new service is designed to make available the kind of professional resources normally only available to large organisations. “In the IT sector, there’s plenty of training available – but too much of this is out of reach for IT professionals who work on their own or in smaller companies,” explains e-skills UK CEO Karen Price. “This new subscription service solves this problem by offering ... learning resources for IT professionals looking to boost their career prospects and earning potential.” More…
Limited company contractors could be refused credit due to accounts exemption proposals
Limited company contractors may find themselves barred from accessing services such as company mobile phones or car leasing if government plans to exempt microbusineses from filing company accounts at Companies House are adopted. AccountingWeb reports that “the majority of finance professionals” think the proposals will “make it harder for firms to access trade credit”. Although the proposals are designed to reduce red tape for small firms, limited company contractors may find their admin’ burdens increase because many trade creditors will request financial information directly from the small business. More…
Contractors may find social media screening is the next stage of recruiter compliance
Contractors may find recruiters start to screen their social media history prior to being awarded a contract, if a new trend in the US catches on. The Blog Herald reports that social media screening firm Social Intelligence Corporation has been given approval by the US Federal Trade Commission to “obtain and distribute personal information and photos of job applicants gathered from social networking sites”. The California-based firm says its technology can monitor social media using automated tools. Anecdotal evidence already suggests that many recruiters in the UK and elsewhere perform manual ad hoc checks on candidates’ social media presence before offering contracts. More…
Contractors can earn ‘social credit’ by referring friends using new LinkedIn tool
Contractors can earn ‘social credit’ from referring friends for new assignments using the new Referral Engine from LinkedIn. Recruiter reports that the new tool will be part of a wider suite of LinkedIn recruitment tools. When an organisation posts a new job, LinkedIn will search its database for employees and interims at that organisation who have contacts with the right skills profile for the role. The employee/interim will receive a message asking if they would like to refer their contact. More…
Contractors warned over email tax credit phishing scam
HMRC is warning all taxpayers currently in the process of updating their tax credits claims to beware of “a surge of fake phishing emails’. The emails inform the recipient that a tax rebate is due and asks for credit or debit card details. HMRC has confirmed that it only corresponds by post. We currently only ever contact customers who are due a tax refund in writing by post. HMRC’s Director of Online and Digital Joan Wood explains: “We don’t use telephone calls, emails or external companies in these circumstances. If anyone receives an email claiming to be from HMRC, please send it to phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk before deleting it permanently.” More…