Current News

REC responds to PM's "secret talks" on agency workers

The REC has responded to a report in the Financial Times that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been in talks with the EU on the Agency Workers Directive.

Commenting on these talks, Tom Hadley, the REC's Director of External Relations, said: "The Government has made it clear that it is looking for a solution on the European Directive and it is therefore no real surprise that discussions are taking place with the EC at this stage. The REC understands that the Directive was also mentioned during the recent visit of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
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Recruitment agencies take strain in uncertain job market, reveals new REC research

New research from the REC's Research Unit has shown agencies are beginning to pick up most of the strain generated by the current uncertainty within the jobs market.

The Key Recruitment Trends 2007 report, which contains the key findings of last year's monthly tracking research, identified the fact that agencies were acting as "shock absorbers" in providing the labour market with flexibility during the present economic period.

Overall, the review results showed 2007 was another strong year for the recruitment industry with most indicators of satisfaction, performance and efficiency generally ahead of those recorded in 2006.
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Immigration system must remain flexible, says REC

In response to the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee report, "The Economic Impact of Immigration", Anne Fairweather, the REC's Head of Public Policy, comments: "It is too simplistic to talk broadly about the impact of immigration; instead we need to look at specifics.

"Recruiters across the country experience difficulties in recruiting for certain positions in sectors such as medical, social care, construction and engineering. The immigration system needs to be flexible enough to respond to these demands. A cap on immigration which is not related to a need for workers could be harmful to both the economy and front line delivery of services. The REC will be making submissions to the Migration Advisory Committee on these matters."
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