Read the news on various contractor websites and it’s clear to see how much the ‘flexible workforce’ which contractors provide has helped to support businesses during the recession – making them more agile and adaptable to market trends, and to the uncertainties of living and working through a downturn.

As the UK economy continues to grow, contractors are continuing to form a key part of that process. Contractors have a vital role to play. They provide essential skills and experience, but delivered in a flexible way which businesses can tap into when needed, while the business environment in which they are working continues to stabilise.

In fact, talk to any industry expert today and they will tell you that there are far more opportunities out there for contractors at the moment than there are for full time employees in similar roles.

But apart from all that, why else should you consider contracting? Contractors have a better quality of life than their employed counterparts, more flexibility to choose when, where and for how long they work – and critically, they are almost always better paid, with greater options around tax efficiency.

A contractor is an expert in their field, often working for many different organisations and learning something new at each step, which then provides a valuable set of additional skills and experience for the next client.

To find out more about contracting in different areas of the UK, simply select from the list below.