IT contractors see public sector contracts cut in government U-turn on using SMEs
IT contractors working on projects for government departments through SME (small and medium enterprise) agencies have had their contracts cancelled on the orders of the Cabinet Office. As revealed by Computer Weekly, the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) has instructed departments like the Ministry of Justice to hand over all its interim business to Capita. The policy of dumping SMEs directly contradicts the Cabinet Office’s own ICT strategy that promised to end the UK ‘ICT oligopoly’, of which Capita is one of the largest members, and to do more business direct with SMEs.” More…
Brazil set to become leading oil and gas contractor market
Oil and gas contractors specialising in deep-water exploration could find an increasing share of future contracts coming from Brazil. State-owned Brazilian energy firm Petrobras’ CEO Jose Gabrielli claims that: “In terms of growth possibilities, in the next 10 years, most of the discoveries will come from Brazil.” Contractors looking for contracts now may benefit from a recent UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) trade delegation to Brazil led by trade minister Lord Green. More…
Contractors increasingly need an online profile to grab recruiters’ attention
Contractors will increasingly need to augment their traditional CVs with an online profile. According to Leon Gettler, writing on Australian business portal Business Spectator, as more companies are turning to social networking sites to recruit, contractors applying for junior roles may in future only require a LinkedIn profile. Gettler claims that “recruiters say that half the people on their books these days rely on just a LinkedIn profile.” More…
Contractors will soon be able to generate a CV from their LinkedIn profile
Contractors will soon be able to benefit from new LinkedIn functionality that will allow them to auto-generate a CV and apply for an assignment at the press of a button from their LinkedIn profile. According to recruitment site Onrec, the new services should be available from LinkedIn imminently and will include a ‘tick-box’ qualification stage that allows recruiters to screen out applicants who don’t have the requisite skills. More…
More than half of IT contractors plan to change assignments by the autumn
More than half of IT contractors are planning to switch to a new assignment before the autumn. According to the IT Job Board’s inaugural Job Market Survey, 57% of IT contractors are planning to change roles by the end of the third quarter in September 2011. The survey also reveals that only 28% of IT contractors moved from their previous assignment because the contract ended. This suggests that a significant amount of IT contractors could be jumping ship early, possibly for more technically challenging or better paid contracts. More…
London and home counties-based contractors to benefit from improving business confidence
Prospects for contractors based in London and the South East are looking positive. The latest Confederation of British Industry (CBI)/KPMG London Business Survey confirms that over half of businesses in the region are hiring as normal and are opimistic about their business prospects. A whopping 65% of the London-based businesses surveyed have expansion plans, which are likely to require resources such as contractors. “London is a great place to do business,” comments CBI London Regional Director Sara Parker. “Companies view the city’s talent pool, ease of access to global markets and proximity to clients as the capital’s biggest strengths.” More….
Weak Eurozone growth in manufacturing and services cuts contracting options
Contractors seeking improved contracting options outside of the UK in the rest of Europe may see fewer contract openings as Eurozone growth in both the manufacturing and service sectors has slowed faster than forecast. The Markit Flash Eurozone Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell sharply in May with growth at its weakest since October 2009. Contractors are most likely to find positive hiring sentiment from clients in Germany and France where staffing levels continue to rise. More…
HMRC to issue fresh tax demands to PAYE contractors
Up to 4.7m taxpayers can expect to receive a letter from HMRC later this year, with an estimated 1.2m including umbrella and agency payroll contractors owing the taxman money says BBC News. The letters will be sent to contractors who have either overpaid or underpaid their tax in the 2010-2011 financial year. HMRC is completing its annual reconciliation exercise which conforms that contractors have paid the correct amount of tax via the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme, and it could also lead to some taxpayers receiving tax rebates for overpayment. More….