Hays Construction - January 2010
Public Sector
Hotspots
Building surveyors are sought for contract assignments. The first home owner's grant has increased the number of building applications requiring assessment. Town Planners are also sought, however employers are very specific in the skill set they will consider, and want candidates who can hit the ground running. Local experience is also considered essential.
The coming quarter
The first quarter of 2010 is likely to see employers slightly increase their permanent and temporary opportunities. Employers in this sector remain cautious, as evidenced by a movement towards contractors. In general though, vacancy levels are up and employers are even open to sponsorship when required.
Employer trends
Employers are liaising with recruiters that can assist and understand their culture and requirements. Permanent salaries are expected to remain stable while contract rates, which have decreased slightly, will also stay at present levels given the volume of candidates available.
Candidate trends
There has been an increase in suitably qualified working holiday candidates for the engineering and town planning markets. This is a result of the economic slowdown in the UK and Ireland and we expect this trend to continue throughout the quarter. However, as the economy picks up in those countries we are likely to experience similar levels of shortages to those experienced 18 months ago.
