A RECRUITMENT consultant has claimed that people in the South Durham area are opting out of the nine-to-five rat race and choosing a less stressful way of working.

Thelma Clark, of LMR recruitment in Newton Aycliffe, said she has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people choosing to work in a more flexible way.

She said: "During the past month we've noticed a big upturn in the number of people who have quit demanding jobs and registered as temporary workers with us instead. Quite a few people made the decision during the summer holidays, when they had time to reflect on what they wanted out of life and decided to make a big change."

Ms Clark said the top five reasons for people giving up permanent jobs were:

* Longer working hours;

* Fed up with routine;

* Hate company politics;

* Not enough time off;

* Always being on call and never off-duty.

She said: "The thought of being a temporary worker is appealing because you can pick and choose the hours and days you want to work, to fit in with your own personal commitments.

"You can also move around to different organisations, so you don't have to put up with a battleaxe supervisor or irritating colleague for too long."

The trend in South Durham is backed up by research from the Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which says that one in five Britons describes their work as very or extremely stressful.

The HSE also says half a million people in the UK are suffering from work-related stress, anxiety or depression at levels that make them ill.

Prolonged or intense stress, says the HSE, can lead to mental and physical ill-health, such as depression, back pain and heart disease.

Workers aged between 34 and 44 suffer the most, while the problems worsen the longer they stay in the same job.

LMR specialises in placing temporary workers in distribution and manufacturing companies