CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF REC BRIEFS EMPLOYERS ON THE UK EMPLOYMENT MARKET AND AWD

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF REC BRIEFS EMPLOYERS ON THE UK EMPLOYMENT MARKET AND AWD AT JOBSHOP UK SEMINAR

Poole recruitment company, Jobshop UK, and HR advisers Real People Solutions, hosted the second of their “Employers Essentials” workshops at The Lifeboat College on Wednesday 9th February.  The large turnout of around 50 delegates, which included local companies such as Hamworthy Combustion, Hampshire Economic Partnership, Go South Coast, Daily Echo and Morris Lane accountants listened to a talk by Kevin Green, CEO of the UK Recruitment and Employment Confederation, on the current employment market and the Agency Workers Directive which comes into force on 1st October this year.

Mr. Green gave an overview on the UK economy over the past two years in which unemployment rose by 2.4% between 2007 and 2009 at the height of the recession.  He told delegates real job creation does not kick in until GDP hits 2.5%.

Kevin discussed some of the trends for the labour market over the next few years, these included:-

The ageing population as there are now more pensioners than children in the UK for the first time

Immigration as we will need non European Talent because of the ageing EU population and skill shortages, Recruitment is becoming more about matching people with organisations and less about skills and vacancies.

Briefing delegates on the Agency Worker’s Directive, Mr Green stated that the new regulations, derived from European legislation, were designed to give temporary agency workers the same pay and employment conditions as they would have been entitled to had they been recruited by the hirer directly to do the same job.  He said that within the UK the agency worker needed to be engaged for 12 weeks’ of service with the same hirer, in the same role, in order to qualify.

Concluding the seminar, Frances Miles, Director Jobshop UK said “We are extremely grateful to Kevin Green for giving up his time and sharing with us the information gathered by the REC regarding the UK economic and labour market as well as the latest news on the AWD.  We will be working closely with our Clients leading up to the implementation of the AWD.”