Jobs survey reveals optimism in contractor job market for 2003

Survey reveals that 39% of engineering, procurement and construction contractors donít expect to be unemployed in 2003

A new survey by EPCglobal, the international staffing solutions company that specialises in servicing the engineering and construction industries, reveals that 39% of engineering and construction contractors donít expect to be unemployed in 2003. A substantial 20% anticipate theyíll be able to choose from many good job offers in the coming year.

When asked about the prospects in the engineering and construction industries over the next five years, 33% believed there would be more work available and 32% predicted there would be roughly the same amount of work available as there is today.

Engineers seem to be even more concerned with the importance of constantly refreshing their skills in a competitive job market, with 43% citing the opportunity to learn a new discipline as ëalways importantí when considering a job offer.

The survey also revealed that engineers are more flexible when considering a job. A massive 57% of engineers surveyed said that they would be prepared to spend two years plus away from home. Twenty-three percent would be willing to spend one to two years away from home, while 11% would consider working away from home for six months to a year.

EPCglobalís strategy of providing an industry-leading job matching website ñ EPCjobs.com ñ as well as industry-focused recruitment consultants is right on target. A huge 99% of respondents (up 12% from the 2001 survey) report that they use the Internet to search for a job. However, when they spot a role that looks appropriate, 87% prefer to speak directly to a recruitment consultant.

Commenting on the findings of EPCglobalís annual jobs survey, Graeme Lewis, sales director, EPCglobal, said:

ìThe optimism and confidence revealed in our jobs survey is a timely boost for the engineering and construction jobs sector. The fact that 43% of contractors cited learning a new discipline when considering a new job as ëalways importantí shows an excellent appreciation of the need to constantly aquire and refresh skills.

Engineers are also more willing to travel to take advantage of skills shortages in specific areas. This kind of flexibility is key to success in the global job market. Itís also apparent that to survive in this wider job market, contractors need an international recruitment partner that has access to a large network of trained recruitment consultants, as well as superior job-matching technology.î

EPCglobal delivers the most efficient matching of candidatesí skills, experience and career goals with relevant job opportunities by blending the latest Internet-based searching and matching technology on its proprietary platform (www.epcjobs.com) with instant access to the knowledge and customer care of its industry-focused recruitment consultants.

EPCglobal specialises in placing qualified engineers, procurement and construction-related (EPC) contract workers into a full breadth of projects including civil infrastructure (such as airports, rail, roads, water treatment and ports); telecommunications; petroleum and chemical processing; power; buildings and urban development; oil and gas; mining and metal processing; and pipelines.