Contract Or Perm? For STEM Professionals, It’s All Up For Grabs
Legislation, market forces, personal priorities it all plays a role. And change happens fast. It’s not just freelancers or specialists driving this shift. Managers, junior staff, and even early-career professionals (groups you’d usually expect to lean towards permanent) are increasingly open to self-employment.
Who's open to contracting? It’s not just the usual suspects. It’s more people and more types of people than you might expect.
In fact, 58% of entry-level employees are open to contracting, a big shift for a generation once wary of going it alone.
By industry, it varies too, from 52% in Automotive to 65% in Highways, Transport & Planning.
And while men are slightly more open to contracting than women (62% vs. 56%), that female figure is surprisingly high when you consider that only 35% of the UK’s self-employed workforce are women, and just 9.6% of working women were self-employed at the end of 2024*
(Source: ONS)
Why are STEM professionals more flexible than ever about how they work?
Because they have to be.
With political and economic uncertainty, shifting legislation, and employers testing the waters with AI, job opportunities just aren’t as visible or plentiful as they were in the post-pandemic boom.
of current contractors say they’d consider going permanent in the next five years if the landscape shifts.
of entry-level employees are open to contracting, a big shift for a generation once wary of going it alone.
What do they need in return?
Clearer visibility of everything that’s on the table. If employers want to attract top talent, they need to shout about all the roles they’re offering, not just the perm ones. Otherwise, interest drops, and employer brand takes a hit.
And the heads-up for government and business? Making it harder to access contingent labour through legislation will only narrow the talent pipeline further.
By role, openness to contracting tells a varied story...
STEM professionals across the board are ready to flex, between contract & perm and that means employers need to be ready too.
Engineering Tech
Business Support
Skilled Trades
Project Management
Contracting today, permanent tomorrow? It’s more possible than you might think.
While many STEM professionals value the flexibility of contract work, 72% say they’d consider switching to a permanent role within the next five years if conditions become less favourable.
Legislative changes
Recent legislative changes have already made waves, and for some, it’s enough to tip the scales to perm roles. Another 45% are open to it, depending on the opportunity.
Gender
More than a quarter of all contractors - and a third of female contractors - say they're likely to make the move to perm roles.
Environment
That leaves fewer than three in ten contractors who feel certain they’d stick with freelancing long-term if the current environment became tougher.
Sector
And by sector, confidence ranges from just 17% in Defence & Security to 42% in Aerospace.
Legislative changes
Recent legislative changes have already made waves, and for some, it’s enough to tip the scales to perm roles. Another 45% are open to it, depending on the opportunity.
Gender
More than a quarter of all contractors - and a third of female contractors - say they're likely to make the move to perm roles.
Environment
That leaves fewer than three in ten contractors who feel certain they’d stick with freelancing long-term if the current environment became tougher.
Sector
And by sector, confidence ranges from just 17% in Defence & Security to 42% in Aerospace.
It’s also worth noting the variation across roles and industries. In Engineering Tech and Skilled Trades, for example, only around one in six contractors feel confident they’ll still be contracting five years from now, regardless of what changes come.
The takeaway?
Contractors are keeping their options open and smart employers should be doing the same.
So, STEM professionals are open to new ways of working, but what’s really driving those decisions? The flexibility of contracting might be pulling them in, but it’s not all plain sailing. In the next section, we dig into the real-life trade-offs: the highs, the headaches, and the hidden deal-breakers shaping whether professionals stick with contracting or start eyeing up a move back to perm.