European bed of roses lures contractors away from UK

British IT contractors who have crossed the Channel have found work on the Continent less stressful than they had expected. This was the finding of a survey, conducted by the Elan recruitment agency.

It analysised 100 contractors who have taken up work in mainland western Europe.

Although almost three-quarters of the contractors interviewed had been concerned about the prospect of working in Europe, most were pleasantly surprised. About half found the working atmosphere less stressful than in the UK and 84 per cent found accommodation within a month without help.

Nearly 70 per cent said they had skills that European businesses regarded more highly than those of local staff.

Around 80 per cent found their colleagues and neighbours welcoming and about the same percentage said languages were not a major barrier to enjoying their placements. Nearly half had settled in so well that they had returned to the UK only infrequently since leaving.

The report was commissioned following a growing trend among contractors to leave the UK for work abroad. Industry analysts have expressed concerns about the rising numbers as the UK is already experiencing a skills shortage.