The REC’s latest JobsOutlook survey confirms a marked increase in awareness of the EU Agency Workers Directive (AWD) amongst employers.  This latest finding underlines the need for recruitment agencies to be fully up to speed with the new regulations in order to start engaging positively with their clients.    

According to the JobsOutlook data, 85 per cent of all businesses surveyed have now heard of the AWD. This compares with awareness levels of less than 50 per cent amongst employers 18 months ago.

Commenting on what these findings mean for recruiters, Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations, says:

“For some time, clients have been asking harder questions about how equal treatment measures for temporary staff will impact on cost and on current processes. This trend will accelerate following the publication last week of the final regulations. Employers will expect their recruitment partners to have all the answers and there are real opportunities to demonstrate professionalism and expertise by engaging with clients at an early stage.”

JobsOutlook is produced on a monthly basis by the REC Industry Research Unit. The report provides employer feedback on future hiring intentions and other employment issues and complements the tracking data from the REC/KPMG Report on Jobs.

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