Over two-thirds of agency workers (68%) are satisfied with their pay and 84% are happy with their recruitment agencies, according to research by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

The ‘Temporary Agency Workers in the UK- Understanding Their Role and Expectations’ research, published in conjunction with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), provides an overview of some of the key drivers and trends in temporary agency work from the perspective of the workers themselves.

The joint report also found 63% of temporary workers choose temp jobs because they were out of work.

Commenting on the findings, Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC, says: “For those who have recently lost their jobs due to the economic downturn, it is crucial to get back into the world of work as quickly as possible and temping is a key means of achieving this. The report also confirms that temporary work offers flexible working options for students and is a valuable means of gaining the kind of practical work experience that will prove vital in an increasingly competitive jobs market.”

Minister for employment relations, Pat McFadden, adds: “This report shows that agency work is an important part of the labour market both for individual and companies. For some people, it is a short term option to get into the labour market and for others, a longer term way of working that suits their individual circumstances and needs.

“The Government wants to make sure agency work can continue to play a role and also to make sure that agency workers get fair treatment for the work they do.”

Other key results were:

• The survey found that 7% of agency workers report some kind of long term disability or illness
• 36% were working on a temporary basis because they were currently in education
• 63% of workers chose temporary work because they were unemployed with 28% of those search for temporary work after being unemployed for one week or less
• Providing regular work and finding the right kind of work were rated as the two most important reasons for agency workers choosing an agency
• A third of respondents (33%) are currently looking for permanent work only; another 28% are looking for either permanent or temporary work; 22% are not looking for work and 17% say they are looking solely for temporary work
• 70% of temporary workers said it was important for the agency they use to be a member of the REC.

A copy of the report can be downloaded from the REC website:

http://www.rec.uk.com/about-recruitment/research/bookshop/Tempagencyworkintheuk