The Temporary Agency Work Sector in Australia and Ireland: Modest,Growing and Under-Recorded

Abstract

Over the past two decades temporary agency work has increased in relation to most sectors and countries. This growth reflects the internationalisation of the agency business which, arguably, has come about due to demands for an ‘on-call just-in-time’ workforce. While temporary agency work possesses several conceptual and empirical challenges for researchers, it also poses challenges for regulators. This paper considers some of those challenges concerning various definitions, classifications and measurement of temporary work while comparing the Australian and Irish experience. It is concluded that while agency work in Australia and Ireland is modest, it is growing, and the conceptual and empirical problems associated with its under-recording pose difficulties for the design and implementation of a regulatory code for this sector.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bronstein

(1991) ‘Temporary work in Western Europe: Threat or complement to permanent employment’, International Labour Review, 130 (3): 291–310.

Burgess

(2003) ‘Reviewing the Model Behind the Job Network’, Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 6 (2): 223–236.

Burgess

and Connell

(2004) ‘International Aspects of Temporary Agency Employment: An Overview’. In Burgess

and Connell

(Ed). International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work. Routledge, London: 1–23.

Campbell

Burgess

(2001) ‘Casual Employment in Australia and Temporary Employment in Europe’, Work, Employment & Society, 15 (1): 171–184.

Campbell

Watson

Buchanan

(2001) Labour Hire in Australia. Conference for the Advancement of Socio Economics, University of Amsterdam.

De Ruyter

(2004) ‘Temporary Agency Work in the EU: An Overview’, in Burgess

and Connell

(Ed.) International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work. Routledge, London: 37–53.

EIRO (1999a) Temporary Agency Work in Europe, www.eiro.ie [accessed on4 October 2004].

EIRO (1999b) Temporary Agency Work and Industrial Relations: Ireland, www.eiro.ie [accessed on 4 October 2004].

EIRO (2004), Country Review: Ireland. www.eiro.ie (Access Date, 4 October 2004)

10.

Hall

(2004) ‘Temporary Agency Work in Australia: Motivation, Dynamivs and Prospects’. In Burgess

and Connell

(Ed.) International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work. Routledge, London: 135–163.

11.

New South Wales Office of Industrial Relations (2004) Secure Employment Test Case. www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/actions/current/ (Access Date 4 October 2004)

12.

New Sout Wales Department of Industrial Relations (2002) Labour Hire Taskforce, Sydney.

13.

O'Kelly

(1999) ‘Non Standard Work in Europe’, Bulletin of Comparative Labour Relations: 65–72.

14.

OECD (1996) Employment Outlook, Paris.

15.

Peck

and Theodore

(2004) ‘Cycles of Contingency: the Temporary Staffing Industry and Labour Market Adjustment in the US’. In Burgess

and Connell

(Ed.) International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work. Routledge, London: 24–36.

16.

Peet

(2004) ‘The Luck of the Irish’, The Economist. October 16th. (Supplement): 3–8.

17.

Pocock

Buchanan

Campbell

(2004) ‘Meeting the Challenge of Casual Work in Australia: Evidence, Past Treatment and Future Policy’, Australian Bulletin of Labour, 30 (1): 16–32.

18.

Rasmussen

, Visser

and Lind

(2004) ‘New Employment Patterns: Agencies and Agency Workers in the Netherlands and Denmark’. In Burgess

and Connell

(Ed.) International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work. Routledge, London: 72–90.

19.

Stanworth

and Druker

(2004) ‘Temporary Agency Labour in the UK’. In Burgess

and Connell

(Ed.) International Perspectives on Temporary Agency Work. Routledge, London: 54–71.

20.

Storrie

(2002) ‘Temporary Agency Work in the European Union’, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, Dublin: www.eurofound.eu.ie [accessed 4 October 2004].