Contract and jobs growth across “vast majority of sectors”, led by construction
Contractors in the construction sector experienced the sharpest increase in vacancies during September 2013. However, the latest Reed Job Index shows IT and engineering vacancy growth falling from highs experienced earlier in the year. “While previously growth was being driven by a handful of sectors and locations,” reed.co.uk chairman James Reed explains, “encouragingly September saw jobs growth across the vast majority of sectors and across all regions.” More...
Core contracting disciplines are also the skills most needed by UK plc
The core contracting disciplines of IT, energy, oil and gas and construction are also the skills areas where the UK is facing a shortfall that could derail its recovery. The Hays Global Skills Index for 2013 warns that “the UK economy is facing an emerging skills shortage, which threatens to derail recovery and undermine the country’s growth prospects”. Hays’ chief executive Alistair Cox notes: “Too many skilled jobs are now going unfilled because the right skills are in increasingly short supply”. More...
Oil and gas contractors can expect a contract surge from North Sea decommissioning
Oil and gas contractors with the right skills and experience can expect a surge in contracts as a result of increasing decommissioning activity in the North Sea. According to Oil & Gas UK’s latest Decommissioning Insight, £10.4bn will be spent on dismantling infrastructure on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) between 2013 and 2022. This will grow to £31.5bn for all assets that require decommissioning. More...
Contractors hailed as “national heroes” by PM, but nothing tangible offered
Contractors and small businesses “who stride out on their own” are “national heroes”, according to Prime Minister David Cameron in his speech to the Conservative Party Conference. However, he announced no policies to back up that claim. PCG director of policy and public affairs Simon McVicker believes the PM should have gone further: “[He] could have continued his party’s enthusiasm from the previous days and closed the conference flying the flag for small business and freelancers by announcing some concrete policies to help them enable economic growth.” More...
Contractors receive support from two MPs at Conservative Party Conference
Contractor interests, the regulatory burden they suffer and the off-payroll rules were all discussed at a Conservative Party Conference fringe event hosted by PCG, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and think-tank Demos. There were two Tory MPs present, Adam Afriyie and Chris Pincher. The latter “highlighted that businesses now understand the importance and flexibility of freelancers but it is the taxman who does not”. More...
Contractors continue to benefit from economic recovery as hiring intensifies
Contractors continue to benefit from the economic recovery, as hiring intensifies across the UK’s manufacturing, construction and services sectors. All three of the Markit/Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) Purchasing Manager Indices (PMIs) for Manufacturing, Construction and Services performed strongly and signalled strong hiring. The reported performance suggests the UK economy may have grown by up to 1.2% in the third quarter of 2013, the fastest growth seen since before the economic crisis in 2007. More...
Contractor clients less likely to enter administration and default on fees
Contractor clients are less likely to enter administration and fail to pay outstanding fees. According to figures published by Deloitte, the number of administrations has fallen by 16.4% during the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period in 2012. Prospects for construction contractors in particular have improved as business failures in the sector have fallen dramatically. “Construction has clearly benefitted from more activity in the housing sector as demand and prices pick up,” says Deloitte restructuring partner Lee Manning. More...
Marketing and media contractors benefit from global ad spend recovery
Contractors in the marketing and media space can expect an improvement in their prospects according to the latest ZenithOptimedia Advertising Expenditure Forecasts, just published by the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC). Growth of 3.5% is forecast for 2013, followed by 5.1% for 2014, helped in part by the eurozone’s emergence from recession. Although presenting only a small component now, mobile advertising is forecast to grow by 77% during 2013. More...
Contractors and employers blamed by HMRC for RTI errors
Contractors, employers and their software are at fault when something goes wrong with the Real Time Information (RTI) submission, and not HMRC’s computer systems. This is according to a new report by the taxman, which suggests that errors would be less likely to arise if contractors and employers had a greater understanding of how charges are generated within the system. HMRC has promised to publish further guidance. More...
Contractor and taxpayer PAYE complaints about HMRC to the Tax Adjudicator soar by 347%
Complaints by contractors and other taxpayers about HMRC’s administration of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) to the independent Tax Adjudicator have soared by 347% between 2011-12 and 2012-13. Overall, complaints about the taxman increased by 107%, accounting for over half of the entire number of complaints received about government agencies. “I am disappointed at the number of complaints HMRC customers feel they need to refer to me in order to get resolution,” said the Adjudicator Judy Clements in her latest annual report. More...