Temporary Agency Working and the European Employment Strategy

The nature and role of temporary agency working (TAW) is changing. Three context factors that contribute to this change can be identified: transformations in the labour market, the changing needs of employing organizations and the evolution of new policies, especially the European Employment Strategy (EES) of the European Union. This chapter argues that although temporary agencies and TAW create a variable, complex and often controversial form of working, this can have a key role in supporting some of the main objectives of the EES. It then considers the nature, priorities and processes of the EES and reflects on the relevance or otherwise of TAW for the EES. The chapter explores the incidence and nature of TAW across the EU and, where appropriate, beyond. It assesses whether the EES could benefit from specific initiatives for TAW and considers strategies that might need to be in place to achieve this.