Umbrella company contractors north of the border will be pleased to learn that demand for their services continues to rise. The latest PMI shows that growth reached its highest level for four years in February and plenty of job opportunities are springing up for job seekers.
This welcome news came from the Bank of Scotland, which said the country is continuing to see “bountiful work” opportunities. The service sector demonstrated strong growth with its PMI increasing from 51.4 in January to 51.7 last month. That’s the 14th consecutive month when the PMI has increased, and that indicates positive times ahead.
Donald MacRae, the chief economist at the Bank of Scotland, said it was encouraging to see that the private sector still maintained a positive track after the financial meltdown. Both manufacturing and services registered increased output last month and increased recruitment in the service sector ensured the number of people in work grew at the fastest rate for four years. The latest results confirm that there is less likelihood of a double dip recession and Scotland should be able to look forward to a stronger recovery this year, he added.
After last week’s dismal employment statistics from the ONS, any positive news must come as a welcome respite to contractors. Scotland does seem to be well placed to recover, especially for contractors with experience in manufacturing, services or renewables.
Contractors in other parts of the UK may take solace from the fact that the BCC now says we are unlikely to slip back into recession.
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Image: Highland Cows by John_Brennan
