The latest ONS report on the UK Labour Market, for the period up to November 2022, shows a slight increase in the overall working population in the UK, yet at the same time, the number of vacancies remains at historically high levels.

This is due to the ongoing talent shortage across many sectors, as highlighted in another report released this week by the CER.

The total number of people in employment remains slightly lower than for the comparable pre-pandemic period three years before, yet, at the same time there has been a 17% increase in the number of temporary workers (see below graph). This is at least partly due to employers turning to contingent staffing as a short term policy to deal with the ongoing talent shortage.

Neil Carberry, CEO of the REC, says, in their analysis of the latest ONS figures that it is not surprising to see a boost in demand for temporary workers as a short term measure to plug the skills gap during these ‘unpredictable times’.

Our own report on the UK Contingent Workforce shows recent changes brought about by factors such as the pandemic and due to Brexit, have increased the need for good governance, an agile approach and the right technology, to improve the management of contingent workers across all sectors. If you would like to discuss how Pixid’s technology range can support your contingent staffing requirements, please contact us to arrange a call or demo.