Almost two in five (39%) UK employees have been temporary agency workers, contractors or freelancers at some point in their careers, up from 36% in 2014, according to new research by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

“Recruitment agencies play an important role,” the REC stated. “On any given day, they place over one million people on temporary assignments. The majority of employees (62%) were satisfied with the service they received while 17% were neutral.”

REC’s data also found that 28% of temporary agency workers, contractors and freelancers choose this way of working because they want flexible hours while 36% want to get on the job ladder quickly. 

Two thirds, or 68%, of people who have worked as a flexible worker, are now in a permanent role, up by 12% from 2014. The research also found that flexible work is a part of people’s lives in all parts of society.

Citing data from the Office of National Statistics, the REC found that since 2016 the number of people choosing flexible work because they didn’t want a permanent job has increased. Meanwhile, the proportion opting for flexible work because they couldn’t find a permanent role dropped from one in three (32%) to one in four (25%). 

Meanwhile, the gender balance among people who have done temporary agency work was 52% female vs 48% male. However, there is a broader difference among contractors and freelancers where men are the majority (63%). 

Women are more likely to choose flexible work in order to look after children (13% of women vs just 4% of men) and to work more flexible hours (33% of women vs 24% of men).

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, commented, “People are making a positive choice to do flexible work because they want more from their job. We need to celebrate different forms of work that are essential to meeting workers’ needs at critical stages of many people’s lives.

“In times of uncertainty, businesses need flexibility to meet demand for skills and people are looking for opportunities to work flexibly or balance work with caring needs,” Carberry said.