REC News Updates
‘Government Misses Opportunity To Strengthen UK Labour MarketRecruitment Body Comments on Home Secretary's Restrictions Placed on Bulgarian and Romanian Workers
London, UK -20th September, 2006 - The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative for the UK recruitment industry, has reacted with dismay to Home Secretary John Reid's announcement to restrict the number of Romanians and Bulgarians allowed to work in the UK.
The REC believes that these workers can make a vital contribution to key sectors of the economy. Due to ongoing skills shortages in the UK in areas such as construction, engineering and social care, recruiters have been under considerable pressure in a candidate driven market. Continued EU expansion can help to ease this problem.
Marcia Roberts, CEO, REC says "This debate on EU enlargement is political not rational and does not take into account the current needs of the UK labour market."
The REC's monthly Report on Jobs, which is conducted in association with KPMG and NTC research, shows that the demand for workers has continued to increase over the last two and a half years. Positions in a number of sectors continue to be difficult to fill and there is a mismatch between jobseekers' qualifications and current demands.
Marcia Roberts continues:
“If Romanians and Bulgarians are entitled to come to this country but prevented from finding work legitimately, they will do it through the black economy and this will lead to far greater problems.
The decision by the Government on whether to allow Romanians and Bulgarians to work in the UK from next year should have been made on the basis of the labour market's needs. The challenge is to manage the migrant labour supply effectively.”
For more information contact:
Susie Loughnane/Fiona McKenzie/Johnny Sollitt-Davis
REC press office
Tel: 0845 37 00 655
Email: rec@octopuscomms.net
Notes to Editors:
About the REC The REC is the association for the £24.5 billion private recruitment and staffing industry in the UK, with over 8,000 recruitment agencies and over 5,500 recruitment consultants in membership. All members must abide by a Code of Professional Practice.
There are 1.2 million temporary workers registered with UK agencies, and up to 1 million temps are deployed in industry, commerce and the public services every day. Temps, from professionally qualified and highly skilled workers to first time market entrants and returners, are a valuable and flexible component of the UK labour market.
The REC is able to speak on all aspects of the labour market, from employment legislation and workplace issues, to skills shortages, implications for the economy of changes in employment levels and the benefits of temporary work.
20.09.06
www.rec.uk.com
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