State of the Market

[simes]

I haven't been contacted by a recruiter for weeks. Very unusual.

Me, months.

Well, correction. I have been emailed by agents asking if I would be interested in Every type of professional title, Except that which is on every page of a six-page CV. If I was applying to be an astronaut, I would have a similar level of abject silence.

Aside from the state of the economy, it is the constant fiddling by the HMRC that allows for the planning of nothing long term.

"Invest in Buy to Lets as a form of pension." As soon as that gears up, it is taxed to the hilt.
"One way of appearing to be self employed (prior to reform) is to demonstrate your LtdCo has more than one stream of income." I invest in just such, and now my LtdCo has no way of maintaining those investments.

If not a race to the bottom, as quoted by a gentleman above, it appears to be a race towards doing very little inspirational.

[Paracelsus]

Finally not been extended. It's been 2.5 years and my first gig, so can't complain.

Had a look at the market - it seems a bit thin but I'll need a few more weeks to properly gauge it. The main issue is half of the roles are wanting SC/DV - the eternal chicken or egg problem - or are on-site/3 days office miles away. I'd do 2 days London max for a v good rate but not 3.
Rates wise, pure stagnation, no movement over the past 3 years, in fact some rates are comically low like £250 inside IR35 which is barely higher than permie rate and probably below it after the additional tax etc.

Briefly considered a very profitable BADR and going perm again, but I've been spoiled for too long with making my own hours and doing only project work. So, a nice long break while seeing if anything crops up over winter.

[PCTNN]

Most of my department in the Public Sector is made of contractors. We're in year 3 of a big digital transformation programme where in typical public sector style a lot of money has been spent and very little has been delivered so today they've cut most of us contractors.

I'll be on the bench from December 1st.

I'm not even going to bother looking; the search starts in January

[JustKeepSwimming]

Aren't there delays with SC process? I've noticed a lot of SC roles last few months, maybe the delays are making it appear they are more plentiful?

[dx4100]

Had a hot one come through this morning... £200 per day for a role which would have been at least £450 not long back. The market might be bad at the moment but some people are just taking the mickey with job postings like that.

[SussexSeagull]

Most of my department in the Public Sector is made of contractors. We're in year 3 of a big digital transformation programme where in typical public sector style a lot of money has been spent and very little has been delivered so today they've cut most of us contractors.

I'll be on the bench from December 1st.

I'm not even going to bother looking; the search starts in January

TBF the project I am being cut short on at the moment has rumbled on for several years with no sign of finishing and is in the Private Sector.

[northernladuk]

Aren't there delays with SC process? I've noticed a lot of SC roles last few months, maybe the delays are making it appear they are more plentiful?

I can confirm SC clearance is taking about 8 weeks start to finish. No delays.

SC process has little to do with the number of roles as 99.9% will be asking for existing SC clearance only. It's just the way of the world and has been like this for a long long time. An 8 week process to get in a contractor that is usually an urgent requirement on the whole just doesn't work hence the closed shop approach.

There have always been a good number of SC roles in the searches even when the market was booming. They now stand out more now the market is rubbish. Defence and other critical spending doesn't get as affected as other areas.

I'd also be willing to bet a number of SC roles are appearing because there are contractors leaving for outside gigs.

[JustKeepSwimming]

I can confirm SC clearance is taking about 8 weeks start to finish. No delays.

SC process has little to do with the number of roles as 99.9% will be asking for existing SC clearance only. It's just the way of the world and has been like this for a long long time. An 8 week process to get in a contractor that is usually an urgent requirement on the whole just doesn't work hence the closed shop approach.

There have always been a good number of SC roles in the searches even when the market was booming. They now stand out more now the market is rubbish. Defence and other critical spending doesn't get as affected as other areas.

I'd also be willing to bet a number of SC roles are appearing because there are contractors leaving for outside gigs.

I've never done SC work, is the existing SC mandatory? Some adverts do state it, or list it as 'preferred', but surely it must be the case that they have to grow the SC pool eventually? I can't see permies with SC going contracting is enough to offset SC contractors retiring/changing industry.

[malvolio]

I can confirm SC clearance is taking about 8 weeks start to finish. No delays.

SC process has little to do with the number of roles as 99.9% will be asking for existing SC clearance only. It's just the way of the world and has been like this for a long long time. An 8 week process to get in a contractor that is usually an urgent requirement on the whole just doesn't work hence the closed shop approach.

There have always been a good number of SC roles in the searches even when the market was booming. They now stand out more now the market is rubbish. Defence and other critical spending doesn't get as affected as other areas.

I'd also be willing to bet a number of SC roles are appearing because there are contractors leaving for outside gigs.

Equally likely the idiot insistence on already having SC (which is actually impossible in reality), combined with lots of people refusing to look at inside gigs means the hirers keep seeing the same people who are probably not the best candidates for any role! Any of those roles can start people with just a basic security check in over 90% of cases (numbers from my work with the Cabinet Office and PCG years ago on the whole security Catch22. It is unlikely to have changed).

[dx4100]

That is what I don't understand about the SC roles. SC is attached to the job and not the person right ? If you leave you lose your SC. So they are basically looking for someone to leave a job right ?