Contractors of all kinds make up a large portion of the 440,000 people working in the oil and gas sector, a new report suggests.
Analysis of the sector's workforce published in the recent Oil & Gas UK's 2012 Economic Report found that as many as 32,000 people are employed on a contract basis in the industry.
The report also suggest that further down the energy supply chain there are another 207,000 engaged in roles set up on contracts.
The wide range of contractor roles in the oil and gas sector includes people working in technical, IT, scientific and interim management roles as well as engineering and construction.
The report also estimates that for every £1 billion that is invested into the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) a further 15,000 to 20,000 new contracts and jobs will be created.
A recent report published by Deloitte suggests that employment opportunities in the North Sea alone have risen by 64 per cent in the past 12 months.
