Permanent employment in the project management sector has decreased by 20%, matched by a 19% increase in those working as contractors, according to a survey by sector specialist Arras People.

The survey found that, as a consequence, there has been a major shift in the length of time people have been in their current role. In 2005, 21% of respondents had been in place for three years or more, and 52% of respondents said they had been in place for a year.

The study found that project managers are gradually migrating from lower to higher pay brackets. However, 26% said that rates had gone down over the past five years.

Despite salaried PM’s earnings rising, they still don’t make as much as contractors. The study found that contractors’ earnings are fairly evenly spread across all daily rate bands from £200 to £600, and there is some evidence that contractors are also moving to higher bands.