Economic uncertainty and weaker trading conditions have taken their toll on some of Europe’s largest staffing markets, including the Netherlands where temporary billings continued to fall across several sectors in October, new research shows.

Data from the Dutch association of employment agencies (ABU) shows that staffing firms reported lower revenues in October with sales falling by -4% when compared to a year ago. The number of total hours worked by temporary staff was also down by -5%.

All industries monitored by the association showed a decline, particularly the medical sector where sales dropped sharply by -18% and hours by -20%. The administrative sector saw a smaller contraction of business activities, with revenue and hours both decreasing by -3% year-on-year.

The industrial sector was similarly hit by a decline as sales fell by -5% and hours by -6%.  There was no good news for the technical sector where revenues were down -4% and hours -6%.

A recovery of the Dutch staffing market is not anticipated until 2013. In August, Staffing Industry Analysts revised its market forecast for the Netherlands, down to -5% this year after the economic environment shaped up worse than expected in 2012.