Engineering contracting roles increased by 30pc in 2011 and IT contracting roles by 8pc, according to a new survey.
The research was conducted by CXC Consultants Exchange among more than 2,000 active contractors. The study also found that contracting was spreading into other areas beyond IT and engineering.
“We are seeing a steep rise in the level of contract work available in Ireland, particularly in manufacturing, light industrial and pharmaceutical sectors as many companies are not in a position to increase their permanent headcount but can offer contract work,” said Anne Fanthom, managing director of Recruitment Plus.
“These contracts are frequently extended. We are predicting a sharp growth in this trend in 2012,” she said.
According to the research, roles which require high skills levels are seeing the largest growth in contingency workforces.
“The contracting market is driven by the multinational companies,” said Fergal Lennon, managing director of CXC.
“The flexibility and high quality of the contract workforce available in Ireland allow the Irish operations of multinational companies to compete effectively with other locations to bring projects to Ireland,” he said.
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