The Recruitment and Employment Confederation says that last month saw one of the biggest increase in temporary billings last month in the South of England.
The REC’s latest jobs report discovered that the number of available temporary positions, typically filled by freelancers and umbrella company contractors, rose steadily across the board in December. However, the Confederation found that the South saw the highest growth out of all the regions; meanwhile, the traditional centre of interim worker growth in London was uncharacteristically weak this past month, the REC said.
However, even though the South saw marked gains, overall availability of contractors or freelance staff was, for the first time in 56 consecutive months, flat this past December. The equilibrium was maintained primarily by larger demands for staff in public sector positions, with both permanent staff and temporary workers needed to fill an increased number of vacancies.
The sector exhibiting the largest and most consistent demand for temporary staff so far has been the medical profession, with interim positions for nurses, medical professionals, and carers all increasing over November’s already strong figures, the REC research study revealed. However, the marked drop in demand in the nation’s capital – an area long-renowned for its almost constant strong need for temporary workers as well as permanent staff – was seen as a serious blow to economic growth.
Industry experts say that the slow migration of financial services from the City of London may have played a part in the decline of demand over the past month.
