Temp market ‘is strong’

The market in the UK for temporary staff is "very strong" at the moment, it has been suggested.

According to Tom Hadley, director of external relations at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, statistics indicate that the demand for temporary workers is high at present.

He said: "It could be strong perhaps because employers are worried about taking people on permanently."

Mr Hadley went on to suggest that small businesses that are in the process of growing could find hiring such staff beneficial, adding that working on this basis can provide a "starting option" for people and can help grant jobseekers access to the workplace.

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He also identified temporary working as a means of updating employees’ skills.

The results of a recent Recruitment Industry Survey suggested that March exhibited higher levels of demand for temporary staff, with the construction and engineering sector reporting the greatest demand for contract workers.