A new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that states high jobless rates are likely to continue across the eurozone doesn’t seem like good news to many – but umbrella company experts say that this could spell good news for contractors and freelancers looking to pick up extra work.
The OECD’s new 2012 Employment Outlook, which said that the 7.7 per cent jobless rate will persist through this year’s final quarter, means that around 14 million jobs are needed to counteract the effects of unemployment. However, freelancers and contractors could be used in the meantime to supplement employment figures, allowing businesses to grow while also affording them the flexibility and the ability to control their costs in a way that hiring on permanent workers would preclude them from doing.
Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the OECD, said that the labour market will be hard-pressed to recover as he presented the report recently in Paris. Governments must use every means possible to aid jobseekers by investing in skills and education and removing barriers to job creation, Mr Gurría added, remarking that younger workers are especially in need of help in the current economy.
However, there was some good news to be had, as the jobs market in the UK has continued to grow according to research conducted by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies. Indeed, UK-based contractors, freelancers, and other temporary workers may be poised to benefit, as their skills may be in high demand in the face of high joblessness rates in the eurozone due to a lack of qualified job applicants, and with remote working on the rise, many may not even need to relocate.
