Over 80% of UK contractors do not search for a new role until the last two months of an ongoing contract and 15% of these do not even start searching until they are already out of work.

This is according to a survey of 1,605 contractors nationwide by umbrella company FPS Group and freelance professionals jobs board ContractJobs.com.

The survey also finds that 42% of contractors secured their current position through a recruitment agency and 30% found it through friends and family.

FPS chief financial office Matt Huddleston suggests that the results “show recruitment agencies are still the first port of call for contractors looking for a new position”.