Umbrella company contractors might be interested to learn that the professional jobs market has not been materially affected by the UK’s decision to leave the EU according recent data.
According to findings from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), as many as 74% of recruiters reported that business was the same or better than before the vote in the weeks following Brexit.
This is great news for contractors and freelancers, who are more likely to find job opportunities with companies that are reporting a positive outlook within their business.
The report, which surveyed 145 professional recruitment leaders, found that when asked how business changed in the four weeks after the vote compared to the four weeks pre-referendum, over half (56%) had witnessed no change, around one in five (19%) said business was worse while roughly the same amount (18%) reported that business was better.
Overall, participants were largely positive about the prospects for the UK recruitment sector in the short term, with 44% citing that they were optimistic for the next two years. By comparison, just 20% said they were pessimistic with the remaining 36% remaining neutral.
Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo, commented, “Following the positive economic benchmarking data which has been made available in recent weeks, the results of our survey are not altogether unsurprising. Despite the fact that the majority of respondents voted to remain, it seems like, for now, it’s ‘business as usual’ within the professional jobs market.”
“Until Article 50 is triggered we are very much in limbo, which perhaps explains why the recruitment profession is acutely aware of potential challenges associated with Brexit. However, alongside these perceived risks, also come opportunities – most notability the potential overhaul of burdensome EU legislation.”
She added, “The current landscape offers an opportunity for us to encourage a new regulatory framework that differentiates skilled professionals by positioning them outside of ‘one size fits all’ regulation aimed at protecting unskilled workers. It is crucial that the Government consults with representative bodies in the professional recruitment sector as EU-derived laws are replaced by, or recreated into, British statute.”
Daniele Cantello is an Contract Manager for Contractor Umbrella Ltd, one of the UK’s Most Respected Umbrella Companies. Learn more about Daniele on Google.
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