The IT sector is a major driving force behind the UK’s contractor boom, with latest ONS figures putting the current number of self-employed people at 4.5 million.
Although the ONS figures reveal that construction is still the largest sector for contractors, 83,000 contractors work directly in the IT sector, with many tens of thousands more operating in other areas in an IT role.
Nixon Williams, a specialist contractor accountancy, further confirmed that the IT sector was fuelling the contractor market following a survey of 1,000 people.
Half of the 1,000 people questioned work in IT, with roles including programmer, developer, security consultant, project manager, business analyst, software test analyst, network designer and content designer. The range of industries also covers a wide spectrum from finance to business management, and from law to engineering.
According to the Bank of England’s quarterly bulletin, self-employment in the UK accounts for around a third of the growth in employment since 2010, with growth unaffected by periods of "subdued growth" and "stronger growth".
Nixon Williams CEO Simon Curry, said: "The latest figures demonstrate the importance of the self-employment sector to the UK economy."
"Advances in cloud computing, contactless payment systems and cyber security mean growth for the UK’s technology sector is set to continue, and that means opportunities for self-employed IT professionals."
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