The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has noted that short-term workers are likely to continue to grow in demand as difficult economic circumstances push companies to utilise temporary employees equipped with in-demand skills. Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC, said that the labour market in Britain had managed to “defy gravity” and continued to thrive despite a double dip recession having been noted.
One of the main reasons that the British workforce has endured is because employees are highly flexible, Mr Green revealed. Talking about the Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) new figures, which showed that employment had risen, Mr Green said that one of the leading factors behind this data was that the UK had “the most flexible labour market in Europe”. This allows businesses to find the skills and resources that they need in the temporary workers and contractors market, utilising freelancers as and when they needed them to get the best competitive edge. Mr Green did warn, however, that the increase in employment might well be a small calm before a storm, saying that Britain could note “a zigzag recovery, with jobs figures getting worse before they get better again.”
For recruitment agencies it is likely that that temporary workers and short-term staff may well see increased demand over permanent placements. For those agents wanting to place as many staff as possible, providing companies with short-term workers with the right skill sets will be increasingly important.
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