Sweden – Poolia extends partnership with Axfood

Swedish staffing firm Poolia and Sweden-based grocery store chain Axfood have extended their partnership by signing a new agreement for the delivery of staffing services.

Poolia will deliver services throughout Sweden, but primarily in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Jönköping and Örebro County.

This new agreement...

EU – Euro area unemployment falls slightly

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 10.0% in September 2016, down slightly from 10.6% in the same time last year and stable compared to August 2016. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since June 2011, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European...

UK – Graduate jobs market improves to highest level since recession

The unemployment rate for UK graduates six months after leaving university is 5.7%, a significant fall from 6.3% in 2015, according to a new report, “What Do Graduates Do?” published by Prospects and the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services.

The report shows that unemployment rates below...

UK – MP calls for self employed gig economy workers to be paid the minimum wage

UK Senior Conservative MP Ed Vaizey has called for self-employed workers in the “gig economy” to be guaranteed the legal minimum wage, reports the Guardian.

At an event on Tuesday, Vaizey urged the government to produce a “definition of a new kind of worker in the gig economy” as a “halfway...

UK – Number of job vacancies fall

The number of total advertised job vacancies in the UK fell by 3.8% in September 2016 compared to the same period last year according to the latest UK Job Market Report from Adzuna.

In comparison to August’s figures, total advertised vacancies increased 0.8% to 1,132,844 in September. Adzuna states...

Switzerland – Jobseeker confidence reaches highest level in 12 months

According to the latest PageGroup confidence index for the period of July-September 2016, the confidence of jobseekers in Switzerland reached its highest level in 12 months on the criteria of the ability to find a job within 3 months.

The study showed that more than half of the candidates (53%) expect...

Netherlands – ABU reports staffing growth

According to the Dutch Federation of Private Employment Agencies (ABU), hours worked by temporary workers increased by 7% and turnover grew by 8% in period 10 (weeks 37 to 40) compared to the same period last year.

ABU divides the year into four-week periods reported, with the 10th period the most recently...

France – Lawmakers approve tax increase on sharing economy (Tax News)

The French national assemby has voted to increase taxes on those who use online sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb to make money, reports Tax News.

Under the proposed legislation, a cap would be in place which means that sums of more than €23,000 per year made from renting out homes on shared...

Ireland – More than half of workers would move jobs for more money

More than half of Irish workers would be tempted to change jobs for a pay rise, according to data from recruitment site IrishJobs.ie.

The data showed that 54% of employees would consider a move for extra money.  Meanwhile 21% said they would be persuaded to apply for a new role if it offered more...

Spain – Increase in the number of workers hired through employment agencies

The number of temporary contracts intermediated by temporary employment agencies (ETT) has risen from 1.2 million units registered in 2012 to 2.1 million in 2016, representing an increase of 66.1%, according to the Spanish Labour Market Monitor from Afi- Asempleo prepared by the Association of Employment...