More North East workers opt for temporary jobs

The North East has the country’s second highest concentration of workers considering their main work to be temporary, according to new figures.

Research by recruitment firm Reed Specialist Recruitment found that 15% of workers in the region considered their main work to be nonpermanent – the highest outside London.

The research – carried out as part of the firm’s Temporary isn’t Temporary campaign – surveyed 5,000 workers.

As well as finding a significant percentage of North East workers considered their main role to be in non-permanent work, the research also discovered one in 10 workers in the region held down more than one temporary role at a time.

The positive benefits of temporary or short-term working contracts were

“work life balance” (36%).

The research also found 52% were prefered the security of a permanent role with a further 46% identifying that the benefits of a permanent role, such a pensions and sick pay, were important in their preference for permanent roles.

Mike Harrison, regional managing director of Reed North East, said: “In the North East there are a large percentage of workers choosing temporary work for its flexibility and the boost to their CVs for future work.

“With the local economy being well known for its automotive and engineering talent as well as a growing digital games and technology sector the region is well suited to highly skilled temporary workers. The only barrier to greater numbers of temporary working seems to be concerns around benefits and pensions.”