New EU Research confirms crucial role of agency work

With the Employment Council on December 5th set to discuss the EU Directive on Agency Work, a timely new report on private employment agencies provides comparative data on the industryís positive contribution to European labour markets.

The report entitled ëMore Work Opportunities for More Peopleí was developed by the research company Bain in conjunction with Eurociett ñ the representative body for the recruitment industry across Europe.

Key findings include the fact that the private employment agency industry is expected to create more than 2.1 million new jobs in Europe by 2012 through structural growth and the lifting of unnecessary restrictions on the use of agency work.

Commenting on the launch of the report, Tom Hadley, the Recruitment and Employment Confederationís Director of External Relations and a member of the Eurociett Board, says: ìThe report could not have come at a better time, with next weekís crucial Employment Council meeting in Brussels due to discuss regulation on the recruitment industry in Europe and the proposed EU Agency Workers Directive which has remained blocked since 2002.

ìThe findings from the research underline the crucial importance of ensuring that any agreement on the Directive enhances rather than hinders the effective provision of temporary work services across Europeî.

The report provides numerous case studies and data from across Europe and underlines the role that temporary agency work plays in enhancing access to the labour market for excluded or underrepresented groups. Out of the extra 570,000 new jobs to be created if restrictions are lifted, 37 per cent would be filled by young people, 15 per cent by long-term unemployed and six per cent by older workers.

Commenting on the findings, Eurociett President Annemarie Muntz says: ìThe report demonstrates that private employment agencies are more than ever ready to bring into the EU debate proposals for modern, efficient and more inclusive labour markets.

ìPrivate employment agencies should be recognised as key players to reach the Lisbon employment objectives, and given credit for increasing labour market participation and diversity. Therefore, outdated and unjustified restrictions to the provision of services by private employment agencies should be reviewed and lifted.î