UK – Minister says gig economy is one of most significant developments

The online gig economy is one of the most significant developments in the labour market, but employment rights must keep up with employment practices, said Damien Green, UK secretary of state for work and pensions.

Green made his comments during a speech on the welfare system at a London-based think tank...

UK – Recruitment firm Blue Arrow reports pickers salary up 20.7%

Order pickers have picked up a hefty increase in salary, according to Blue Arrow, a recruitment firm specialising in the catering, driving, industrial and office sectors. The recruiter’s October sector report found pickers’ average salary rose 20.7% year over year to £19,672.

However, when it came...

Spain – Adecco reports increase in temporary holiday employment (Investing.com)

Adecco reported that demand in Spain for temporary workers this holiday season is up 14% from the previous year, according to Investing.com. The staffing firm has 950,000 contracts in Spain for the months of November, December and January. The figures are at pre-recession levels and the sectors with...

UK – Recruitment agencies’ use of tax avoidance scheme deprives taxpayers of hundreds of millions of pounds

An investigation by the Guardian into precarious work in the UK has uncovered the use of an aggressive tax avoidance scheme by recruitment agencies that is depriving taxpayers of hundreds of millions of pounds a year.

According to the investigation, the recruitment agencies have been using contrived financial...

UK – Jobless rate falls to new low, temporary employment number decreases slightly

The UK unemployment rate was 4.8% for the three months ending September 2016, down from 5.3% for a year earlier and the lowest since the July to September 2005 period, according to data from the Office of National Statistics. The data also showed that the number of temporary employees was down from last...

World – Reforms needed to improve quality of non-standard jobs

Regulatory reforms and other policies are needed to improve the quality of non-standard jobs, according to a new report from the International Labour Organisation.

The report, ‘Non-standard employment around the world: Understanding challenges, shaping prospects’, highlights the policies needed to...

UK – Businesses expect to employ more gig economy workers in the next five years

Around half, or 49%, of large organisations with 100,000 employees or more in the UK have increased their use of gig economy workers over the last five years, according to data from Ernst and Young, published in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The data suggests...

Italy – ManpowerGroup launches new initiative for young jobseekers

ManpowerGroup in Italy has launched a new initiative called PowerU Digital, in collaboration with Deloitte and bank Intesa Sanpaolo , with the sponsorship of Confindustria Digitale, in order to address the current situation in the labour market and the skills shortage, particularly among young jobseekers....

Finland – Private labour recruitment sector continues to grow

According to a report on labour recruitment and the SME Barometer on business services published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Business Sector Services, labour recruitment services and particularly the provision of agency and temporary labour continue to increase in Finland....

UK – Recruiters warn lack of chefs may lead to crisis during festive season

UK recruitment agencies are warning of a shortage of chefs for restaurants and hospitality firms over Christmas because of a lack of skilled staff, according to a study by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

The study found that 61% of specialist recruitment agencies would be unable to...