How important is temporary agency work for the German labour market?
Abstract
"Temporary agency work is booming - and in Germany more than in other countries. In the past decade alone, the number of hired-out employees has almost trebled. The growing significance of the temporary agency work sector is being discussed highly controversially in public. For the persons involved in and with temporary agency work, the overall deregulation in the wake of the Hartz reform has proved worthwhile. In a globalised world, in which it is more and more a question of reacting to the impetus of demand or changes in production, establishments have taken on an instrument that allows them high flexibility in deploying personnel. Through this, competitive positions can be improved and shares of the market enlarged. Temporary agency work reduces search and fluctuation costs. At the same time it allows the potential of competitively weak or stigmatized groups to be tapped, giving them access to the labour market. For its opponents, on the other hand, temporary agency work is the work of the devil: a gateway for the deterioration of working conditions and for 'wage dumping'; temporary agency work contributes to rendering employment more precarious and crowds out 'good-quality' work, that is, permanent jobs with acceptable working conditions and a stable perspective. Instead of integration, it leads on the labour market to a revolving-door effect and in society as a whole to exclusion. In addition, temporary agency work means that employment in the receiving establishments is replaced by temporary agency work.<br>The authors provide an overview of this form of employment and the in-house utilisation of temporary agency work and address the situation of workers, both male and female, who are involved in temporary agency work as well as the perspectives offered by it." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Cite article
Möller, J., Walwei, U. & Ziegler, K. (2012): Wie wichtig ist Zeitarbeit für den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt? In: A. Dinges, H. Franken, G. Breucker, V. Calasan & C. Speidel (Hrsg.) (2012): Zukunft Zeitarbeit : Perspektiven für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, p. 33-53. DOI:10.1007/978-3-642-24221-2_4