The economic recovery in Scotland faltered during the bad weather last December, according to Lloyds TSB’s Scotland Business Monitor.

Umbrella company contractors need to be aware that HMRC is going to clamp down hard on employment benefit trust schemes. EBTS’s are now considered by the government to be a form of disguised remuneration.

Low-income households and the elderly have been badly hit by the recession, according to research conducted by the BBC and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Nearly 80% of IT directors believe private sector workers provide better value.

The FSB claims the Chancellor missed a golden opportunity to boost the creation of jobs when he delivered his budget on Wednesday.

It will come as no surprise to read that morale in the public sector is low.

Recruiters have reported that temporary workers and umbrella company contractors are now reluctant to travel long distances to get to work due to the increasing cost of fuel.

Freelancers with digital skills could be one group to benefit from the government’s public sector cuts.

Self-employed umbrellas seem to be the new “in thing” – it’s almost like umbrella companies around the country had a eureka moment all at once and decided to run a “new model” to catch everyone they couldn’t put through the typical PAYE umbrella.

As budget day looms ever closer, various organisations have been urging the government to create an environment that supports entrepreneurs, small businesses and umbrella company contractors.

Cutting HMRC’s budget is not rational, according to the president of the Association of Revenue and Customs.

The latest JobsOutlook from the REC shows that optimism is returning to the jobs market as more companies report an increase in their hiring intentions.