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Australia – Temporary work a great stepping stone to employment

09 July 2014

Australian workers believe that temporary work is the best path to securing a permanent role, with 80% of workers viewing temporary work as a stepping stone to a full-time job, according to recruitment giant Randstad.

With recent government projections stating that 30% of graduates could still be unemployed four months after finishing their degree, temporary work is becoming an increasingly important driver to landing a permanent position.

Steve Shepherd, an Employment Analyst at Randstad, advised that temporary work can be a great launching pad for people who want to work, while gaining valuable knowledge, skills, and experience that will help land a more ideally suited, permanent role.

“Undertaking a temporary or contract position demonstrates commitment, a willingness to work, and an aptitude to learn. It doesn’t matter whether the role is in the industry in which you want to establish your career, rather it’s the experience and transferrable skills you learn that will have a lasting impact,” he explained.

However, it is not just graduates who see temporary work as an important stepping stone to a permanent position. Almost two-thirds of Australian workers feel temporary work is for all ages and 60% believe you can switch jobs at any time.

“This is positive news for those who have been retrenched, are considering a career change or using it as a stop-gap when re-entering the workforce. With the labour market in a state of flux and many of the more established industries hiring on a business responsive basis, temporary jobs can provide the perfect launch pad for people, whether they are 16 or 65,” Mr Shepherd added.

The latest Randstad Mobility Index, which reveals jobseeker confidence each quarter, has risen from 104 to 108 during Q2 2014. The number of people looking for a new job over the last quarter has increased slightly, with 11% of respondents citing they are actively looking for a new role.

The proportion of Australians who site job loss as a significant fear has had a minor increase from 7% to 8%, edging ever closer to the 10% high seen in Q2 2013.

Confidence in finding a comparable job within six months has increased, however, for the first time since 2011, rising by +4 percentage points to 70%, the biggest increase since Q4 2010.

Mr Shepherd concluded: “As expected, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 5.8% since March, as well as surging job creation; jobseeker confidence has returned during the second quarter of this year. Looking ahead to Q3 & Q4, what we want to see is the positive trend continuing, with strengthening business confidence as organisations choose to hire more temporary, permanent, part-time or full-time employees.”