Ciett Economic Report 2014

Economic Report
2014 Edition
(Based on data of 2012/2013)

2 / Ciett / 2014 Economic Report
CONTENTS
Table of
4
Introduction
6
The key facts
and figures
8
The private
employment
services market
in 2012/2013
26
The private
employment
services industry
20
Agency work as
leading indicator
of the economy
1
3
2

2014 Economic Report / Ciett / 3
32
The profiles of
agency workers and
their assignments
44
Satisfaction and
motivation of
agency workers
4
5
52
About Ciett
54
About “The Way
to Work”
56
Ciett National
Federation
Members
58
Glossary of
used terms,
acronyms and
country codes

Dear reader,
It is our pleasure to present you with the 2014 annual
Ciett economic report. This report will provide you with a
comprehensive overview of the agency work industry around
the world. It combines some key data that was available from
2013 with more in depth data from 2012.
As the International Confederation of Private Employment
Services, Ciett represents a sector that is today the Way to
Work for more than 36 million workers around the world.
Since its establishment in 1967 Ciett has been providing data
about the industry, while this is the 7th economic report.
The picture that emerges over the years is one of a robust
industry that clearly relates to market volatility. Even so
much so, that agency work is considered to be a leading
economic indicator.
Considering this, it is promising that the US Staffing
Employment Index is at its highest point in the past five
years, just as the number of agency workers in Japan, while
the European Agency Work Business Indicator has also
started an upward trajectory. Together these three markets
represent 82% of the worldwide market.
These cautious signs of economic recovery are welcome
news not only for our industry, but also for millions of
workers and jobseekers around the world. Agency work has
proven to be a strong enabler of labour market transitions
– from unemployment into work, and from temporary
work into long lasting careers. Linked to this, Ciett and its
members presented in 2011 the Way to Work – A job for
every person and a person for every job. The Way to Work
consists of 5 global pledges by the private employment
services around the world, over the course of five years
(2011-2016) to:
INTRODUCTION

Support 280MILLIONPEOPLE in their job life
Help 75MILLIONYOUNGPEOPLE enter the
labour market
UP-SKILL65MILLIONPEOPLE, giving them
more work choices
Create 18MILLIONMOREJOBS
SERVE13MILLIONCOMPANIES with the right
talents to succeed
You can read more about the Way to Work and our pledges
on pages 54-55.
We hope you enjoy this report in its entirety, but with befitting
pride, we would like to draw your special attention to
chapter 5, digging into satisfaction and motivation of agency
workers. After all, what is more rewarding to see than that
on average 80% of workers would recommend agency work
to their familiy and friends?
Sincerely,
Fred van Haasteren, Ciett President
Annemarie Muntz, Eurociett President
Denis Pennel, Ciett & Eurociett Managing Director

KEY FACTS
FIGURES&
AGENCY
WORK in GLOBAL ANNUAL SALES REVENUE
€ 299.3 Bn
US
28.9%
EUR
36.5%
16.6%
JP
11.5
million jobs
36MILLION
WORKERS
inagencywork
worldwide
Infull-time
equivalent
SHARE OF GLOBAL MARKET
2012
For more information, see chapter 1

JAPANUSA EUROPE
PENETRATION RATES
1.4%
2.0%
1.6%
80%
would
RECOMMEND AGENCY WORK
to family or friends
(avg.over6countriessurveyed)
137,300Agencies
203,500Branches
624,500InternalStaff
For more information, see chapter 1 For more information, see chapter 5

developments in 2012/2013
SERVICES MARKET
THE PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT
1

This chapter combines some recent (2013) figures with
more in depth data over the year 2012.
This combination shows that just as the global economy,
the private employment services industry has been
through some rough times, but that IN 2013, THE BIGGEST
MARKETS – THE USA, EUROPE AND JAPAN – ALL SHOWED
CAUTIOUS SIGNS OF RECOVERY.
November 2013 November 2013 Q3 2013
Y-O-Y GROWTH PENETRATIONRATES
EUR
1.4%
EUR
1.6%
US
6.9%
US
2.0%
JP
26%
JP
1.4%

1 THE PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
MARKET DEVELOPMENTS IN 2012/2013
USA market grows in 2013
The US Staffing Employment Index
was set at 100 in 2006. The agency
work sector reached 102 in November
of 2013, which is its highest position
in six years. Exactly 12 months before
that, the index stood at 95. Staffing had
grown 6.9% y-o-y in November 2013.
The index has not yet reached the
same level as before the 2008 crisis
though.
Employing on average over 2.9 million
agency workers each business day
in 2012, the USA remains the single
biggest market for agency work
around the world.
USA: US Staffing Employment Index
(Set at 100 on 6/12/2006)
110
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
July2006
Oct.2006
Jan.2006
April2007
July2007
Oct.2007
Jan.2007
April2008
July2008
Oct.2008
Jan.2008
April2009
July2009
Oct.2009
Jan.2009
April2010
July2010
Oct.2010
Jan.2010
April2011
July2011
Oct.2011
Jan.2011
April2012
July2012
Oct.2012
Jan.2012
April2013
July2013
Oct.2013
Source: American Staffing Association
growth
6.9% Y-O-Y
IN NOVEMBER 2013

European market shows
cautious upward trend in
2013
In Europe, the monthly Agency Work
Business Indicator, showing the year
on year growth in the number of
hours worked in a range of European
countries, shows an upward trend. In
October 2013 the first positive growth
since December 2011 was recorded at
0.6%; in November this accelerated to
1.4% growth.
European Agency Work Business Indicator:
Evolution of hours worked, year-on-year change
60%
40%
20%
0%
-20%
-40%
Jan.2007
April2008
July2008
Oct.2008
Jan.2008
April2009
July2009
Oct.2009
Jan.2009
April2010
July2010
Oct.2010
Jan.2010
April2011
July2011
Oct.2011
Jan.2011
April2012
July2012
Oct.2012
Jan.2012
April2013
July2013
Oct.2013
Source: Ciett national federations
European average
1.4% Y-O-Y growth
IN NOVEMBER 2013
no -7.0%
de -6.7%
ch -0.7%
fr 1.5%
nl 1.0%
be 4.8%
it 9.0%
dk 14.0%
pl 19.3%

In 2013 Japanese market
hits record high since 2008
The absolute number of agency
workers in Japan has reached
1.1 mln in Q3 of 2013, a growth of
26% compared to Q3 2012. Q1 of 2013
showed a record high with 1.24 mln
since Q4 of 2008. The downturn
between 2008 and 2013 was caused
by the economic crisis as well as
restrictive regulation on the use of
dispatched (agency) workers. Based
on the number of agency workers (in
2012), Japan is the fifth market in the
world. By turnover however, Japan
ranks second with 17% of total annual
sales revenue.
Please note that for comparison an
index (USA), year on year growth
(European Agency Work Business
Indicator) and absolute numbers
(Japan) are three different indicators,
which cannot be compared one on one.
The Japanese ministry of Health, Labor and Wel-
fare provides alternative figures to the Japanese
ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs,
Post and Telecommunications. The latest availa-
ble figures there are for 2011: 1,321,892 (FTE).
Japan: Number of agency workers
x 1000 (FTE)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Jan.2002
April2002
July2002
Oct.2002
Jan.2002
April2003
July2003
Oct.2003
Jan.2003
April2004
July2004
Oct.2004
Jan.2004
April2005
July2005
Oct.2005
Jan.2005
April2006
July2006
Oct.2006
Jan.2006
April2007
July2007
Oct.2007
Jan.2007
April2008
July2008
Oct.2008
Jan.2008
April2009
July2009
Oct.2009
Jan.2009
April2010
July2010
Oct.2010
Jan.2010
April2011
July2011
Oct.2011
Jan.2011
April2012
July2012
Oct.2012
Jan.2012
April2013
July2013
Oct.2013
Source: Japan Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications
26% Y-O-Y growth
IN Q3 2013

Penetration rate developing
differently across regions
The penetration rate is the amount
of agency workers as a share of the
total working population. In different
regions, different trends can be
observed. This is due to economic
reasons as well as regulatory
influences. Since 1996 penetration
rates in these three key markets have
been converging to a certain extent.
In 2008 all markets experienced
a significant decrease due to the
economic crisis. The market in the
USA has so far seen the best recovery
among the three.
European average excludes Russia. If included,
average would be 1.2%
Historic series European average was revised
Agency work penetration rate in key markets
1996-2012
2,5%
2,0%
1,5%
1,0%
0,5%
0,0%
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2205
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012Source: Ciett national federations; ILO - ILOSTAT Database, 2013.
eur 1.6%
jp 1.4%
us 2.0%
US
2.0%
EUR
1.6%
JP
1.4%

36
8,246,000
EUR
CL(5)
9,600
AR
85,300
RU(5)
303,700CA(6)
425,000
KR(5)
462,400
CO
595,600
JP
2,504,200
BR
7,104,000
US
11,500,000
ZA
2,210,900
MX
1,644,300
UY(5)
71,400
AU
436,000
NZ
100,000
PE(5)
374,000
CN(2)
Almost 36 million people
worked in agency work in
2012
The total number of agency workers
in 2012 is significantly lower than in
2011 (1)
. With 11.5 mln workers, the
USA employs the largest number
of people in 2012. Brazil is still
second, as in 2011, but with
less than 60% of the amount of
workers it employed in 2011.
South America and Europe
both represent around 23% of
the total amount of workers.
The Asia/Pacific region employs
another 10%.
(1) Based on 43 countries
(2) Number of workers for China was not included
due to a lack of reliable and comparable data.
Estimates for China are around 27 million
workers (Source: Staffing Industry Analysts).
(3) UK calculates total number of agency workers
on a given moment.
(4) Bulgaria: FTE's.
(5) 2011.
(6) 2010
World: Total number of individuals
employed
million
workers

LV
1,300
EE
5,000
LT(3)
7,700
BG(2)
10,000
GR
12,000
LU
18,570
MK(3)
49,000
SK
49,700
IE
70,000
DK(3)
93,400
NO
99,900
FI
100,000
UK(1)
1,128,500
SE
135,100
CZ
190,000
SI(3)
211,200
RO(3)
220,000CH
297,200 101,500
HU
AT(3)
324,400
BE
352,000
PT(3)
352,000
ES
410,600
IT
470,000
PL
509,300NL(3)
767,100
DE
877,600
FR
2,000,000
RU(3)
303,700
Europe: Total number of individuals
employed
on a given moment.
(2) Bulgaria: FTE's.
(3) 2011.

World: Daily average number of agency
workers (FTE)
EUROPE
4.1 MILLION
35%
ASIA/PACIFIC
1.8 MILLION
20%
NORTH AMERICA
3.0 MILLION
25%
AFRICA
1.2 MILLION
10%
US
2,910,000
CL
2,200
NZ
7,800
RU(2)
92,300
CA(5)
99,000
AU
327,000
IN
500,000
BR
592,000
JP
900,000
ZA
1,220,200
AR(5)
69,100
CO(5)
514,200
PE(5)
85,000
MX
137,000
UY(5)
16,200
KR(5)
106,600
Agency workers filled 11.5
million full-time jobs in
2012
In 2012, around the world 11.5 million
workers were employed daily as an
agency worker (1)
. That is a slight
decrease from 2011 (12.4 million).
Considering the bigger decrease
in the total amount of workers,
this means that on average, the
number of hours for each agency
worker has increased.
(1) Based on 46 countries
(2) Russia is part of European total
(3) Germany: total number of individuals
at a given moment.
(5) 2011.

LV
300
LT
2,000
EE
4,000
HR
4,300
GR
6,900
BG
10,000
DK
14,700
RO
16,200SK(4)
18,500
TR
20,000
NO
25,000 FI(4)
29,000
SI(4)
48,000
FR
525,100
DE(2)
873,400
UK(3)
1,128,500
MK(4)
49,000
SE
61,100
HU(4)
68,000
CH
73,300
AT
78,400
ES
78,800
PT(4)
80,000
PL
159,600
IT
207,000
NL
227,000
IE
26,000 BE
84,800
LU
5,700
CZ
45,000
RU(1)
92,300
Europe: Daily average number of agency
workers (FTE)
SOUTH AMERICA
1.4 MILLION
10%
WORLD
11.5 MILLION
10%100%
(1) Russia is part of European total
(2) Germany: total number of individuals
at a given moment.
(4) 2011.

World: Agency work penetration rate,
2005-2012
RUSSIA
0.1%
9.2%
1.6%
0.1%
11.9%
1.4%
2.9%
0.4%
0.6%
2.0%
0.3%
0.6%
2.9%
0.5%
0.6%
0.4%
0.5%
1.0%
SOUTH AFRICA
USA
CANADA
MEXICO
CHILE
URUGUAY
EUROPE(2)
INDIA
CHINA(3)
SOUTH KOREA
JAPAN
AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND
ARGENTINA
BRAZIL
PERU
COLOMBIA
2005
2007
2009
2010
2011
2012
Source: Ciett national federations; ILO - ILOSTAT Database, 2013.
0.9% world
AVERAGE PENETRATION RATE
Many markets relatively
stable
Penetration rates are quite stable
in most markets around the world.
South Africa is a big exception, with a
growth from 7.7% to 9.2%. Most other
markets show either only minimal
growth or a decline in penetration
rate in 2012. Most notably, penetration
rates have gone down in Brazil and in
Europe. The global average has gone
down from 1.0% to 0.9% (1)
.
(1) Based on 46 countries. Global average
excludes China due to lack of reliable data.
Including China, average would be 2.0%.
(2) European average excludes Russia. If included,
average would be 1.2%. Historic series Euro-
pean average was revised
(3) China estimate Staffing Industry Analysts

Europe: Agency work penetration rate,
2005-2012
PORTUGAL
FRANCE
LUXEMBOURG
NETHERLANDS
CZECH REP.
LITHUANIA
LATVIA
ESTONIA
HUNGARY
AUSTRIA
POLAND
FINLAND
NORWAY
DENMARK
CROATIA
BULGARIA
MACEDONIA
GREECE
ITALY
IRELAND
BELGIUM
GERMANY
ROMANIA
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
TURKEY
UK
1.4%
0.5%
3.8%
1.0%
0.5%
2.2%
0.03%
0.6%
0.9%
1.2%
1.3%
0.1%
0.2%
1.0%
0.3%
0.2%
2.4%
0.2%
0.3%
1.7%
2.7%
1.9%
1.9%
2.0%
0.9%
0.8%
1.8%
0.5%
0.8%
1.7%
RUSSIA
0.1%
2005
2007
2009
2010
2011
2012
Source: Ciett national federations; ILO - ILOSTAT Database, 2013.
1.6% Europe
AVERAGE PENETRATION RATE

A LEADING INDICATOR
AGENCY WORK AS
2of the economy

In times of economic recovery, available work is often first turned
into jobs by agency work. THIS IS WHY AGENCY WORK IS A LEADING
ECONOMIC INDICATOR: a rise in GDP will more or less coincide with a
rise in the number of hours worked by agency workers.
Total employment levels will often pick up and follow the same
trend– only after several months.
The following graphs also show that agency work is a catalyst
rather than substitute of job growth.
PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES HAVE DEVELOPED AS PART OF THE
SOLUTION TO MEET AN INCREASED VOLATILITY IN LABOUR DEMAND
AND TO SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS IN ADAPTING TO THE IMPACT THAT
EACH CYCLE HAS ON THEIR EMPLOYMENT LEVELS.
European Commission European Social Situation Quarterly Review,
March 2012

2 AGENCY WORK AS A LEADING
INDICATOR OF THE ECONOMY
Agency work returns
to positive growth as
unemployment growth
slows down
In Q3 2013, EU unemployment levels
rose by 4.9% compared with the same
period in 2012. This means a slowdown
in the negative trend. In the meantime,
the growth of hours worked by agency
workers is nearing zero, which is an
improvement from previous periods.
This data continues to display
an inverse relationship between
unemployment levels in the EU and the
amount of agency work being carried
out. Recent months have displayed
negative growth, while at the same
time, year on year unemployment
levels have risen. In other words, a
rising number of agency work hours
generally occurs when unemployment
goes down.
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
30%
-40%
Jan.2008
April2008
July2008
Oct.2008
Jan.2009
April2009
July2009
Oct.2009
Jan.2010
April2010
July2010
Oct.2010
Jan.2011
April2011
July2011
Oct.2011
Jan.2012
April2012
July2012
Oct.2012
Jan.2013
April2013
July2013
Oct.2013
EVOLUTION OF AW HOURS WORKED - EUROPE Y-O-Y CHANGE IN UNEMPLOYMENT (EU 28)
Europe: Evolution of number of hours worked by agency workers
versus average EU 28 unemployment change (year on year)
Source: Ciett national federations; Eurostat

USA: Agency work precedes
general employment trend
The agency work industry will usually
respond quicker to economic trends
– both positive and negative - than
general employment. For example,
in the 2009 recession, agency work
started growing again in September,
which was about 6 months before
general employment.
The flexibility that agency work offers
gives businesses an opportunity to
turn newly available work into real
jobs. This also means that agency
work can be considered a leading
economic indicator.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the term
Temporary help services rather than agency
work.
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
150,000
120,000
90,000
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2205
2007
2009
2011
2013
AGENCY WORK TOTAL NONFARM EMPLOYMENT
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Recessions (shaded periods)
USA: Total employment versus agency
work, in thousands

2 AGENCY WORK AS A LEADING
INDICATOR OF THE ECONOMY
Europe: agency work
mirrors economic growth
In Q3 of 2013, agency work in Europe
declined by 0.5%, which was the best
result since 2011. Coincidentally,
GDP development in Europe also
saw its best result since 2013, with
0.3% growth. These figures show a
continuing pattern between the year
on year growth rate of EU 28 GDP and
the evolution of the number of hours
worked by agency workers in Europe.
This reflects that agency work is not a
substitute companies use in bad times,
but a useful service that will be used
more if the economy prospers.
Europe: evolution of number of hours worked by agency
workers (year-on-year) versus evolution of GDP volume EU28
6%
4%
2%
0
-2%
-4%
-6%
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
-30%
Jan.2008
April2008
July2008
Oct.2008
Jan.2009
April2009
July2009
Oct.2009
Jan.2010
April2010
July2010
Oct.2010
Jan.2011
April2011
July2011
Oct.2011
Jan.2012
April2012
July2012
Oct.2012
Jan.2013
April2013
July2013
Oct.2013
EVOLUTION OF AW HOURS WORKED - EUROPE EVOLUTION OF GDP VOLUME - EU28
Source: Ciett national federations; Eurostat

Agency work is a leading
economic indicator
The agency work industry is
considered to be hyper-cyclical,
meaning that it follows the same
trends as employment and GDP,
while troughs are deeper and peaks
are higher. Since changes in the
amount of agency work usually occur
simultaneously with changes in
GDP and before changes in general
employment, agency work is an
important indicator of what the nearby
future will bring.
USA: Evolution of agency work compared
to GDP and total employment
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
-30%
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
AGENCY WORK GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT NONFARM EMPLOYMENT
Recessions (shaded periods)

services INDUSTRY 3THE Private Employment

Private employment services offer their broad range
of services around the world. Although activities may
differ according to local situations, people are always
at the core of their work.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance for agencies to
have dedicated and EXPERT STAFF AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,
where they can be in touch with jobseekers as well as
with the companies they serve.
137,300
agencies
203,500
branches
624,500
internalstaff

3 THE PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
INDUSTRY
17,000
50,000
120,000
US
4,484
NZ
79
500
3,680
AR
170(1)
214(2)
2,560(1)
PE
194(1)
112(2)
3,142(1)
CL
595
221
CO
750
2,000
CA
800
250
3,511
MX
1,398
2,356
35,340
BR
1,813(1)
1,983(2)
9,000(1)
KR
2,329
4,272
16,139
ZA
3,300
7,000
15,000
AU
49,000(5)
CN
20,000
150,000
JP
20
1,279
RU
World: number of private employment
agencies, branches and internal staff
Private employment
services operate a close-
knit network around the
world
In 2012, there were almost 137,300
private employment agencies around
the world, which is about the same
as in 2011. These had in total 203,500
local branches, where 624,500
internal staff were available to find
a job for every person, and a person
for every job. This means that private
employment services have a very
widespread network of labour market
specialists covering many corners of
the earth. Local branches ensure a
deep knowledge of the local labour
market, while there are many regional,
national and international networks
that help workers gain a broader
perspective.
(1) 2011
(2) 2010
(3) 2009
(4) Only members represented
(5) Source: Staffing Industry Analysts
137,300
agencies
203,500
branches

Europe: number of private employment
agencies, branches and internal staff
18,180
14,009
93,360
52
61
470(2)
BG
60
70
170
EE
102
109
315
LV
129(3)
66
655
RO
210
4,000
IE
250
1,274
6,400
BE
265(1)
750(2)
PT
300
50
1,500
TR
302
880
ES
355(3)
465(2)
SI
481(4)
5,845
34,000(1)
NL
500(1)
2,500
FI
530
1,300
5,060
SE
867
3,877
HU
700
900
2,298
NO
966
1,136
DK
1,155
194(2)
SK
1,297
1,952(1)
400(2)
AT
1,490
1,700
3,800
CZ
1,500
6,900
20,000
FR
3,971
4,100(1)
PL
6,694
11,218
55,000
DE
UK
97
2,669
11,000
IT
45
75
309
LU
17
22
85
HR
10
11
155
GR
27(3)
MK
32
40
159
LT
624,500
internalstaff
(1) 2011
(2) 2010
(3) 2009
(4) Only members represented
(5) Staffing Industry Analysts

3 THE PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE
INDUSTRY
Percentage of global annual sales
revenue in 2012
1.8%
BR
1.9%
IN
5.3%
AU
16.6%
JP
28.9%
US
3.7%
NL
10.5%
UK
6.1%
FR
6.8%
DE
1.9%
IT
3.5%
CA
USA grows at the expense of
Europe
The USA is still the biggest market in
the world, with about 28.9% of total
annual sales revenue. This is up from
23% last year. Europe now represents
36.5% of the world market, which is
down from 41% last year. Canada
was a growing market in 2012, while
the market in Brazil severely shrunk,
resulting in only 1.8% of the total
annual sales revenue.
4 299.3 Bn
Globalannualsalesrevenuein2012
US
BR
IT
IN
NL
AU
FR
DE
UK
JP
REST OF
WORLD:
18.4%
CA

Global annual sales revenue
up since 2012
The total agency work sector was
worth 1 299.3 Bn in 2013, up from
1 259 Bn in 2012. The top 10 firms took
up about 27.5% of the total, the top 3
represented 17.9% of global annual
sales revenue.
Top 10 firms sales revenue in 2013
– billion of 4
Source: “Largest Global Staffing Firms 2013”, Staffing IndustryAnalysts
2.9 2.8 2.0
20.5
17.1
16.1
7.4
4.9 4.5 4.2
Adecco
Randstad
M
anpow
er
Allegis
GroupRecruit
Hays
PLC
Kelly
ServicesUSG
PeopleRobertHalfTem
pstaff

The Profiles of
AGENCY WORKERS 4

People doing agency work have very diverse backgrounds. Often, the type of people doing agency
work depends on the country, and the sector or the company looking for agency workers. However, it
is clear that agency workers are relatively young.
This is not surprising, since agency work is often seen as an important stepping stone onto the labour
market. As such, AGENCY WORK SUPPORTS PEOPLE IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT TYPES OF TRANSITIONS IN THE LABOUR
MARKET: from education to work, from unemployment to work, and from short term employment into
longer lasting careers. The importance of smooth transitions is growing in a changing world of work.
For companies, being able to efficiently adapt to changing workloads is the most important reason to
use agency workers.
TODAY, ABOUT HALF OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE IS ENGAGED IN WAGED EMPLOYMENT,
BUT MANY DO NOT WORK FULL TIME FOR A SINGLE EMPLOYER. THE SUPPOSEDLY
“ATYPICAL” HAS BECOME TYPICAL; THE “STANDARD” HAS BECOME THE EXCEPTION.
Mr Guy Ryder, ILO Director General in his speech
at the 2013 International Labour Conference on the future of work.
61%
OF AGENCY WORKERS
ARE under 30
WERE EMPLOYED
before, after
AGENCY WORK
ON AVERAGE,
32% 68%

4 THE PROFILE OF AGENCY WORKERS
AND THEIR ASSIGNMENTS
Gender balance of agency workers
50 50
50 50
32
68
36
64
45
55
56 44
48 52
51 49
78
22
74
26
50 50
43 57
72
28
60
40
72
28
52 48 62
38
70
30
48 52
42
58
45
55
62
38
72
28
52 48
55 45
54 46
40
60
43 57
45 55
US
MX
AR
BR
ES
ZA
IT
GR
41 59HU
AT
CH
BG
FR
LU
PL
BE
UK
NL
DE
CZ
NO
SE
FI
LV
EE
LT
AU
NZ
JP
RU
FEMALE
MALE
AVERAGE AGENCY WORKER
genderbalance
Gender balance varies
greatly, depending on types
of use of agency work
Gender balance among agency
workers depends on many aspects,
such as the socio-economic fabric
of society, and economic history
or tradition. For example, in some
countries agency work is mostly done
by women who might drop out of the
labour market once they start families
(e.g. Japan), or by mothers who want
to take care of their family and want
a flexible work next to that. Typically,
countries where agency workers are
mostly employed in the services sector
tend to have more female agency
workers, while countries where agency
work is used more in the construction
or manufacturing sectors have more
male agency workers.
54%
46%

Agency workers tend to be
young
In most countries, the majority
of agency workers is under 30.
Worldwide, on average 61%. South
Africa, India and Finland are striking
examples of this trend. South Africa
has only 2% of workers over 30, India
18% and Finland 11%. On the other
hand, some exceptions include Spain,
Germany, Luxembourg, France, Japan
and New Zealand. Typically, most of
these countries with older agency
workers have a well established
agency work sector. In these countries,
agency work is generally considered
to be a good and viable alternative to
other types of employment.
(1) Germany: Categories are: 20; 20-29; 30-39;
40-49; ≥50
(2) Poland: Categories are: 25; 25-50; 50
(3) Italy, Netherlands, Norway: bottom category
is: 25.
Age of agency workers
BE
BG
CZ
EE
FI
FR
DE(1)
GR
IT(3)
LV
LU
NL(3)
NO(3)
PL(2)
RO
ES
SE
CH
UK
AR
BR
CN
CO
IN
JP
MX
NZ
ZA
US
› 45
31 - 45
26 - 30
21 - 25
‹ 21
NO DATA
Under30
WORLDWIDE61%

Agency work helps
unemployed find jobs and
remain in employment
People who start doing agency work
out of unemployment will often remain
employed after their assignment.
Germany, South Africa, Greece and
Sweden are the strongest examples
of this stepping stone function of
agency work. In South Africa, 60%
of people starting agency work were
unemployed before, while only 8% of
people return to unemployment.
The industry has a strong track record
in providing labour market transitions
from unemployment to work, as well
as from work to long term careers.
Many examples, including Norway,
Portugal and France show that the
amount of agency workers who remain
in employment after agency work is far
higher than those who were employed
before agency work.
So agency work is not only a short time
solution, but provides a stepping stone
into long term employment.
Employed / unemployed before after
agency work
FR NO DE BR CZ CH NL ZA GR SE BE LU PT
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
42
8
67 65
56
59
73
81
61
77
69 71
20
36
49 51
21
33
44
18
43
38
56
19
27 26
12
60
34 33
26 25
17 15 15 14
8 8 6 5
BEFORE
AFTER
% of agency workers that are employed (either with a temp, fixed-term
or open-ended contracts) before and 12 months after temping
% of agency workers that are officially registered as unemployed
before and 12 months after temping
BEFOREBEFORE AFTERAFTER
32%
35%
68%
14%Unemployed Employed

Agency workers are medium
to high educated
On average, 27% of agency workers
completed higher education, which is
more than the still significant group
of 23% of agency workers without
secondary education. This shows that
agency work can play an important
role in helping both low- and high-
skilled workers to get valuable
experiences on the labour market.
Educational attainment level of workers
high-to-low
HIGH [COMPLETED HIGHER EDUCATION] MEDIUM [COMPLETED SECONDARY EDUCATION]
LOW [NOT COMPLETED SECONDARY EDUCATION] UNKNOWN / OTHER
19%
28%
3%
4%
5%
7%
8%
10%
15%
15%
49%
50%
70%
89%
42%
30%
65%
67%
29%
18%
25%
4%
50%
60%
20%
18%
19%
16%
19%
19%
23%
30%
30%
32%
33%
39%
22%
46%
46%
60%
40%
42%
59%
45%
59%
35%
12%
10%
30%
26%
9%
2%
37%
39%
45%
50%
50%
52%
54%
49%
43%
48%
40%
40%
43%
26%
14%
18%
5%
10%
10%
5%
20%
COMPLETED
HIGHER EDUCATION
COMPLETED
SECONDARY EDUCATION
DID NOT COMPLETE
SECONDARY EDUCATION
27%
50% 23%
HUDE
FR
GR
AG
NL
MX
ZA
RO
SE
CZ
EE
AU
LU
NZ
BG
BR
US
NO
FI
RU
IN
ES

Agency workers are
relatively evenly distributed
in low, medium and high
skilled jobs
On average, 42% of agency work
requires medium skill levels. Low
skilled work accounts for about 35%,
high skilled work for 23%. The skill
level required often has a relation
to the sector where agency work
mostly takes place. Luxembourg for
example has a big share of agency
work in the construction sector, and in
Argentina many agency workers work
in manufacturing, and both countries
have a larger share of low skilled
work.
Skill level required for temporary agency
worker jobs
HIGH SKILLED MEDIUM SKILLED LOW SKILLED
23% 42%
35%
HIGH [COMPLETED HIGHER EDUCATION] MEDIUM [COMPLETED SECONDARY EDUCATION]
LOW [NOT COMPLETED SECONDARY EDUCATION] UNKNOWN / OTHER
1%
1%
5%
8%
9%
10%
17%
17%
20%
5%
12%
40%
40%
86%
40%
58%
6%
50%
94%
87%
55%
52%
5%
50%
25%
77%
30%
1%
20%
29%
30%
32%
35%
40%
43%
50%
60%
31%
30%
49%
54%
40%
41%
40%
20%
39%
40%
19%
11%
20%
16%
10%
HULU ZAAG BR LTES CZ EE
NO SERO GR MXAU NZ BG

70% of temporary agency
work assignments are over
1 month
The length of individual assignments
vary greatly accross countries, but
on average, only 30% of assignments
are under one month duration, while
41% is over three months. Naturally,
an agency worker can do multiple
consecutive assignments.
Average length of agency worker
assignments
50
32
18
36 23
41
40
3525
39
9
52
22
12
66 30
25
45
30
4030
42
9
43
25
73
2
5
92
3
2
97
214
4244
53
2819
60
2020
37
18
45
5
80
15
36
17
47
50
2030
30
70
14
7
20
10
70
9
79
12
AR
AU
BR
BG
CZ
EE
FI
FR
GR
IT
JP
LV
LU
MX
NL
NZ
RO
ZA
ES
SE
UK
US
LONG-TERM [›3 MONTHS]
MEDIUM-TERM [1-3 MONTHS]
SHORT-TERM [‹1 MONTH]
AVERAGELENGTHOFAW
assignments
1 MONTH
1-3 MONTHS
3 MONTHS
30%
29%
41%

Most agency workers
employed in services and
manufacturing
In most countries, agency workers
primarily work either in services (on
average 38%) or manufacturing (33%).
Both of these sectors have gained
somewhat in importance since 2011.
In some countries, a large proportion of agency
work is classified as “other”, relating to different
data collection methodologies. This distorts the
picture.
(1) 2010
Agency worker employment by sector
AR
AU
AT
BR
BG
CO
CZ
DK
EE
FR
DE
GR
IT
LV
LU
MX
NL
NO
RO
RU
ZA
ES
SE
CH(1)
HU
AGRICULTURE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
SERVICES CONSTRUCTION
MANUFACTURING OTHER
AGRICULTURE MANUFACTURING CONSTRUCTION
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATIONSERVICES
3% 33%
9%
7%
38%

46% of agency workers are
employed by companies with
less than 100 employees
All kind of companies use agency
workers. Approximately half of the
agency workers work in companies
that have over 100 employees.
Companies with less then 10
employees hire approximately 12%
of all agency workers. Differences
between countries are significant
here. While in Italy or Latvia small
businesses are the biggest group of
companies hiring agency workers,
in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic or
Romania the biggest group consists of
companies larger than 500 employees.
Both economic and regulatory factors
explain the differences.
Size of companies using agency
work
AR
BR
BG
CZ
EE
DE
GR
IT
LV
LU
MX
RO
ZA
ES
1-9 EMPLOYEES
10-49 EMPLOYEES
50-99 EMPLOYEES
100-499 EMPLOYEES
MORE THAN 500 EMPLOYEES
1-9 10-49 50-99 100-499 ›500 EMPLOYEES
12% 16%
18% 28% 31%

Reasons for hiring agency workersCompanies cite flexibility
and temporary demand as
main reasons to use agency
work
Although there are many factors
that play a role in a companies’
decision to hire an agency worker,
the most important reasons include
the possibility to effectively deal with
peaks in the work load, and replacing
staff absent due to sickness, maternity
leave etc. In research done in the
USA, Germany, Sweden and the UK
other regularly cited reasons are short
term projects, often requiring specific
skills, or as a way to test out potential
new permanent workers. Another
interesting factor is that staffing
agencies provide workers in an easy
and efficient way, resulting in lower
costs and less bureaucracy.
Source: (1) American Staffing Association Client Survey, 2005, (2) Zeitarbeit in Deutschland –Treiber für Flexibilität und Wachstum, IW Consult GmbH, 2011, (3) REC JobsOutlook 2013
aggregate data, (4) PERSONALINHYRNINGEN I SVERIGE, En studie av 600 arbetsgivares anlitande av bemanningsföretag 2012, Bemanningsföretagen (Swedish Staffing Association), 2012.
PERCENTAGE OF BUSINESSES WITH 25+ EMPLOYEES THAT
CITE AS A MAIN REASON FOR HIRING AGENCY WORKERS: (1)
HOW IMPORTANT WOULD YOU SAY THAT AGENCY WORK IS FOR
YOUR ORGANISATION? IMPORTANT TO VERY IMPORTANT (3)
REASONS THAT ARE “IMPORTANT TO VERY IMPORTANT” FOR
COMPANIES TO HIRE AGENCY WORKERS (2)
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS DID YOU HAVE FOR
HIRING AGENCY WORKERS? (4)
Labour
costs of
hiring
Replace a
regular job to
test workers
Keep
running
costs down
Flexibility; short
notice adaptation
of capacity
Replace absent
permanent staff
(sick leave, mater-
nity leave, …)
Meeting
peaks in
demand
Responding
to growth
The size of the
workforce should be
rapidly adaptable
bureaucracy
involved
in hiring staff
Availability
ofworkers
Absorbactivityfluctuation
(seasonal,unexpected,
economiccycle)
Covering
shortterm
staffleave
Managing fast
changing organisa-
tional requirements
Managing
uncertaintyduring
economicdownturn
Trying
out
workers
Staff special
short term
projects
Providing short
term access to key
strategic skills
80%
84%
59%
52%
42%
Difficult
to find any
other way
33%
Company
needed a special
expertise
32%
It is easier and
involves less adminis-
tration than employing
30%
82%
64%
61%
Companyhadtemporary
workpeaksandit
requiredextrastaff
63%
Tosubstitute
absent or sick
employees
51%
There
was a
rush
49%
A time-limited
project requiring
temporary staffing
37%
34%
72%
68%
59%
84%
73%
43%
34%
21%
US
UK
DE
SE

Alternatives to agency work Agency work mostly not a
substitute for permanent
workers
In a study done by the Boston
Consulting Group and Ciett, 74%
of companies reported that they
would not consider hiring permanent
workers as an alternative to agency
work. In 62% of the cases there would
be no job creation as companies chose
internal flexibility or not to do the
work at all. This shows that private
employment services, and agency
work in particular, are an engine of job
creation and economic growth. Agency
work gives employers the opportunity
to turn available work into jobs.
Source: Ciett Boston Consulting Group 2011, Adapting to Change
Internal
flexibility
solution 54%
Hire
permanent
workers 26%
Other external flexibility
solution 12%
Not do
the work
8%
NO JOB CREATION
(62%
)
NO SUBSTITUTION
(74%
)
62% OF AGENCY WORK JOBS wouldnot HAVE BEEN
CREATED WITHOUT ACCESS TO AGENCY WORK

Satisfaction motivation
of AGENCY WORKERS 5

Previous chapters have shown that agency work contributes to economic
growth, helps to bring about labour market transitions, and provides an
answer to business needs for adaptability. At the center of this all however,
IS A PERSON’S CHOICE TO WORK AS AN AGENCY WORKER. This chapter explores the
reasons people have to make this choice, and if they are happy with their
job as an agency worker.
Research shows a large variety of reasons, but remarkable consistency in
agency workers high job satisfaction.
OF WORKERS ARE SATISFIED
TO verysatisfied
OF WORKERS would
recommend
AGENCY WORK
83%
80%

5 SATISFACTION AND MOTIVATION OF
AGENCY WORKERS
Would you recommend Agency work to a
family member or a friend?
80% of agency workers
would recommend it to their
families or friends
Research from a range of countries
shows that agency workers are on
average very satisfied with their
work. On average, 83% of agency
workers report that they are satisfied
or very satisfied. This clearly shows
that working through an agency is a
conscious and deliberate choice for a
vast majority of the workers.
OF WORKERS would
recommendAGENCY WORK
80%
NOYES OTHER
BE
(2012)
CO
(2013)
FI
(2012)
NO
(2012-13)
SE
(2011-12)
US
(2006)
82%
93%
87%
88%
64%
67%
8% 7% 13% 12%17% 18%

SATISFIED
OTHER
VERY SATISFIED
Percentage of agency workers
who are satisfied with their work
BE (2012)
NO (2012/2013)
FI (2012)
US (2006)
CO (2013)
SE (2011/2012)
FR (2013)
23%
18%
42%
46%
42%
35%
30%
53%
49%
48%
48%
39%
57%
48%
49%
OF WORKERS ARE SATISFIED,
34%
ARE verysatisfied83%

5 SATISFACTION AND MOTIVATION OF
AGENCY WORKERS
Top 3 reasons for choosing agency workThere are many reasons to
choose agency work
Agency work can provide in a
multitude of specific needs that an
individual worker might have. For
workers, it can provide flexibility both
in hours, location and duration of
employment, or it can provide them
with access to the labour market that
they might otherwise not have.
Financial
reasons
Couldn’t find
a permanent
job Flexibility
of schedule
This was the
only type of work
I could find
I can
choose the
working hours
and location
Being an agency
worker is easier than
getting a different
kind of job
I want to see
different work places
and acquire different
experiences
As a
stepping stone
to permanent
work
Looking
for different
professional
experiences before
settling for one
To obtain
experience/
training
I want to use
it to find a
permanent job
I can earn
additional
income
Want to see
different workplaces
and gain all-round
work experience
Work as agency
worker is easier to
get than other work
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Better
than being
unemployed
1
Agency
work allowed
me to find work
quickly
It will lead
to permanent
employment
It is hard to
get a direct
contract
Otherwise I
would be out
of work
Agency work is
a good gateway to
working life
The agency offered
an interesting
assignment
1
1
1
1
1
1
BE
(2012)
FR
(2013) US
(2006)
CO
(2013)
NO
(2012-13)
FI
(2012)
SE
(2011-12)
Source: Ciett national federation members

The Netherlands: Agency worker
satisfaction with the employment agency
Source: Inflow Survey Facts figures on temporary employees, ABU, 2009
Information on legal or fiscal matters
Speed and suitability of jobs offered
Information on the assignment/company (in advance)
Support in administrative formalities
Correctness of the contracts offered
Contact with employment agency staff
Payment by the employment agency
11%
20%
16%
18%
19%
28%
27%
44%
49%
55%
57%
60%
51%
53%
31%
19%
19%
16%
12%
13%
11%
9%
8%
7%
6%
6%
5%
6%
5%
4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
3%
EXTREMELY SATISFIED SATISFIED NEUTRAL UNSATISFIED EXTREMELY UNSATISFIED
73%
Private employment
agencies offer a
professional service to
businesses and workers
Private employment services are
experts on the local labour market,
and help workers not only find a
position, but also employ them, deal
with all sorts of administrative issues,
and pay them for their work. It is the
agency that has full responsibility
for the employment relation with the
worker, not the user company.
20%
ARE extremelysatisfied,
53%
ARE SATISFIED

ANNEXES

As the international confederation of
private employment services, Ciett is the
authoritative voice REPRESENTINGTHE
INTERESTSOFTHEAGENCYWORKINDUSTRY
across the world.
Founded in 1967, Ciett consists of
49NATIONALFEDERATIONS of private em-
ployment agencies and eight of the largest
staffing companies worldwide: Adecco, GI
Group, Kelly Services, ManpowerGroup,
Randstad, Recruit, Trenkwalder and USG
People.
ABOUT CIETT

Its members gather over 200,000
BRANCHES and employ more than
11.5MILLIONAGENCYWORKERS on a daily
average (FTE).
Its main objective is to help its members
conduct their businesses in a LEGALAND
REGULATORYENVIRONMENTthat is positive
and supportive.
Ciett is divided into SIXREGIONAL
ORGANISATIONS: Africa/Near East,
Northern Asia, Southern Asia, North
America, South America [CLETTA],
and Europe [Eurociett].

The way to work; a job for every person, a person
for every job is the unified vision for the global private
employment services industry. It reflects the industry’s
unique position in building better labour markets and
providing work opportunities and hope to millions of people
every day.
Directing the WAYTOWORK being a labour market entry
point, encouraging transitions, enhancing people's skills
Offering a new WAYTOWORK providing labour
contractual diversity to meet work-life balance and individual
constraints
Giving people a great WAYTOWORK delivering decent
and quality jobs
Helping people to organise the WAYTOWORK
matching skills and jobs better and faster
The values of the private employment services. industry are
centred around people, because work is an essential part
of life and identity. These values demonstrate the industry’s
commitment to advancing people and businesses through work:
QUALITY: The industry promotes ILO core conventions and
decent work and calls for appropriate regulation to be adopted
on private employment services. The industry works to raise
self regulation and quality standards and is committed to
fighting rogue and untrustworthy providers in order to get rid of
abuses and illegal practices.
INCLUSIVENESS: The industry is committed to engaging in
constructive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders –
governments, trade unions, NGO, academics - to ensure every
voice is heard. We are an open industry, willing to develop an
inclusive society by increasing labour market participation and
diversity.
SERVING: As a professional services industry, we are driven
by customer satisfaction, be it companies or individuals. We
are here to support our customers in their diverse needs and
expectations, helping them to adapt to change and to realise
their ambitions.
FREEDOM: We provide more work opportunities for more people,
therefore increasing freedom of choice in the labour market.
We give people the freedom to choose when, where and how
they work.
ABOUT THE WAY TO WORK

CIETT, THE VOICE OF LABOUR CHOICE
THE WAY TO WORK
A JOB FOR EVERY PERSON, A PERSON FOR EVERY JOB
SUPPORT
280
MILLION
PEOPLE IN
THEIR JOB
LIFE
HELP
75 MILLION
YOUNG
PEOPLE
ENTER THE
LABOUR
MARKET
UP-SKILL
65 MILLION
PEOPLE,
GIVING
THEM
WORK
CHOICE
CREATE 18
MILLION
MORE JOBS
SERVE 13
MILLION
COMPANIES
WITH THE
RIGHT
TALENTS TO
SUCCEED
PEOPLE - QUALITY, FREEDOM, INCLUSIVENESS, SERVING
The private employment services
industry has the COLLECTIVEPOWERTO
BRINGABOUTPOSITIVECHANGE to labour
markets and act as a bridge to social
and economic progress.
As such, in 2011, CIETT’SMEMBERS
HAVEMADEFIVEPLEDGES regarding their
contribution over the next five years
to individuals and companies in the
labour market.

CIETT MEMBERS
AFRICA / NEAR EAST
Morocco
South Africa
Zambia
NORTHERN ASIA
China
Japan
South Korea
SOUTHERN ASIA
Australia
India
New Zealand
Nepal
Singapore
NORTH AMERICA
Canada
Mexico
USA
EUROPE
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UK
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Perú

Temporary agency work
Both at international and EU level, agency work is legally defined and
recognised. In ILO Convention on private employment agencies (C181, 1997) as
well as in the EU Directive on temporary agency work (2008/104/EC), the three-
party relationship is precisely characterised: “Services consisting of employing
workers with a view to making them available to a third party, who may be a
natural or legal person (usually referred to as a “user company”) which assigns
their tasks and supervises the execution of these tasks”
Private employment services (industry)
Agency work is usually one of several other HR services provided by
recruitment and employment agencies, along with permanent recruitment,
outplacement, training, executive search, skills assessments and more. The
broad range of these services are called private employment services. The
agency provides a professional service to a user company by taking over (a part
of) the recruitment and HR process. In this sense, private employment services
are comparable to other professional services such as accounting, security or
cleaning.
Daily average number of agency workers (FTE)
Total number of hours worked by all agency workers in a country over a period
of one year divided by the average number of hours worked over a period of one
year by a worker with a full-time job with an open-ended contract
Penetration rate
Daily average number of agency workers [in full-time equivalents]
divided by the working population [as defined by the ILO as follows:
“The employed comprise all persons of working age who during a specified
brief period, such as one week or one day, were in the following categories:
a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or
b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work).”
ARGENTINA AR MACEDONIA MK
AUSTRALIA AU MEXICO MX
AUSTRIA AT MOROCCO MA
BELGIUM BE NEPAL NP
BRAZIL BR NETHERLANDS NL
BULGARIA BG NEW ZEALAND NZ
CANADA CA NORWAY NO
CHILE CL PERÚ PE
CHINA CN POLAND PL
COLOMBIA CO PORTUGAL PT
CZECH REPUBLIC CZ ROMANIA RO
DENMARK DK RUSSIA RU
ESTONIA EE SINGAPORE SG
FINLAND FI SLOVAKIA SK
FRANCE FR SLOVENIA SI
GERMANY DE SOUTH AFRICA ZA
GREECE GR SOUTH KOREA KR
HUNGARY HU SPAIN ES
INDIA IN SWEDEN SE
IRELAND IE SWITZERLAND CH
ITALY IT TURKEY TR
JAPAN JP UK UK
LATVIA LV USA US
LITHUANIA LT ZAMBIA ZM
LUXEMBOURG LU
GLOSSARY OF USED TERMS
ACRONYMS COUNTRY CODES (1)

(1) The International Organisation for
Standardisation ISO: the international
standard for country codes ISO 3166

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Ciett Economic Report 2014