We read with interest the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report which came out this week. According to the report, 75% of UK organisations are experiencing difficulty filling vacancies and 72% stated that this is principally caused by a lack of specialist skills - highlighting a huge opportunity for contractors who work through an umbrella company. The report, which is considered to be a ‘barometer’ of HR prospects and trends, also found that management, technical and professional positions are proving to be the most difficult to fill. All of which is excellent news for umbrella contractors in these areas, as employers struggle to find the specialist permanent staff that they need.

We noticed that these findings are backed up by the latest Reed Job Index, which found that the engineering and IT sectors – both core umbrella contracting areas – provided a major contribution to the overall 17% increase in job opportunities since December 2010. reed.co.uk Managing Director Martin Warnes commented, “The fact that the number of new job vacancies on offer remains 17% higher than 12 months ago is significant. Skilled technical staff in traditional areas of heavy industry, like engineering, have been especially sought after, alongside IT, telecommunications, leisure and tourism staff.”