The landscape of work in London is shifting. It’s always been possible to find temporary work in the capital, particularly within office support and PA roles, because London is a global business hub. However, temporary jobs in London were previously more of an add-on alongside permanent recruitment. Now, for perhaps the first time in modern history, we’re seeing temp work in London become increasingly important. So, what’s going on?
Skills and modern employment
The Open University Business Barometer 2019 gives us some insight into the jobs market. It reveals just how important temporary work in London is. For example, organisations spent a staggering £1.4 billion on temporary staff, recruitment fees, and increased salaries in the last year. They’ve also experienced an eye-watering 179% rise in spending on recruitment fees.
So, why is this? Well, 57% of businesses hired temporary staff to plug gaps. This makes sense given that 68% of employers in London say their organisation is facing a skills shortage at the moment. There are multiple reasons for the skills shortage. Some differ depending on the industry. However, many are the result of wider forces, for example, the incredibly low unemployment rate of 3.8% means there simply isn’t a huge pool of workers to choose from.
Employers looking for solutions
Employers can’t sit by whilst skills shortages damage their business and hinder growth—they have to take decisive action. Typically, they’d do things such as increase wages (which is happening to some degree) in a bid to attract and retain talent.
However, the current skills gap cannot be viewed in isolation. It sits alongside the uncertainty fuelled by Brexit. Employers are generally reluctant to make decisions that have long-term implications when they don’t know what will happen just a few months down the line. So they’re turning to temporary work in London as the solution.
Temp work can be the answer
Temp work in London is one way to manage the skills shortage in the face of uncertainty. The result is that we’re seeing increasing demand for temporary jobs in London on the ground. However, this picture is also more complex when we look at individual candidates too. Workers are more likely to consider temporary work in London as a career strategy these days. While temp work in London was once the arena of those ‘passing through’ or looking for short-term employment, many candidates are now seeing it as an ideal long-term strategy.
Temp work on the rise
As a London recruitment agency in the office support and PA arenas, we’ve seen that temp work is becoming increasingly popular for both candidates and employers. We previously discussed why temp work in London is a good option for candidates, as it enables them to benefit from flexibility, competitive rates of pay, and intensive skills development.
When we look closely at the state of the economy and politics, we can see that the shift towards more temporary work in London makes sense. Whether you’re an employer or a candidate, isn’t it time you thought about temporary jobs in London? Give us a call on 020 7870 7177 to see your options.
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