Eurociett emphasises the role of the sector as EP Employment Committee hearing prepares to discuss the Youth Opportunities Initiative

Brussels, 26 March 2012: As the European Parliament Employment Committee prepares for a hearing on the “Youth Opportunities Initiative“ on 27 March, Eurociett, representing the private employment services sector in Europe,  has underlined the role the industry plays in enhancing labour market participation and securing decent work for young people across Europe.

“Private employment services should be used actively as an entry point into the labour market, explained Michael Freytag, policy adviser at Eurociett.  “The sector provides an important stepping stone function for young people, offering employment and training opportunities. Private employment services help drive down segmentation and  promote more inclusive labour markets.”

Private employment services employ more than three million workers in full-time equivalent in Europe (corresponding to 9 million workers annually).  People under 25 years of age comprise a large proportion of agency workers, accounting for 50% in Poland, 47% in the Netherlands, 39% in France and 37% in Belgium.  Private employment services often provide young people with their first experience of the world of work and they offer targeted support in the form of career guidance and training which enables them to stay within the labour market and make upward transitions to further jobs and full-time work.

Countries with well-established and appropriately regulated private employment services – including the Netherlands, Belgium, the Scandinavian countries and Germany – show lower levels of youth unemployment and higher labour market participation rates.  By contrast, high levels of youth unemployment are seen in countries like Spain, Greece and Italy which have low levels of agency work penetration and outdated and unjustified restrictions on the sector.

It is against this background that Eurociett calls for balanced labour market reforms in Europe, effectively combining labour market flexibility and work security. To enhance labour market opportunities for young people, existing unjustified restrictions on temporary agency work should be removed, such as too short maximum length of assignments or restrictions on the range of labour contracts that can be provided by the industry.

Ends

Note to the editors

As the European confederation of private employment agencies, Eurociett is the authoritative voice representing the common interests of the agency work industry in Europe. Bringing together 30 national federations and 6 of the largest multinational staffing companies as well as tens of thousands of SMEs, Eurociett accounts for more than 90% of the organised agency work sector in Europe. More info at www.eurociett.eu

For further information, please contact:

Michael Freytag

Policy Advisor

Eurociett

Tel: +32 2 421 15 86

E-Mail: michael.freytag@ciett.org