Job Quality in an Era of Flexibility

10Job quality for temporary agency workers and client organization employees at a Swedish manufacturing plant

Kristina Håkansson and Tommy Isidorsson

Introduction

This chapter deals with job quality in terms of job security and employability in workplaces using temporary agency workers. Statistics show an increase in the number of temporary agency workers across Europe, often interpreted as an increased demand for flexibility in the labour market. However, it is important to note that this flexibility is gaining the client organizations hiring agency workers who can adjust the number of staff. From the perspective of the temporary agency worker, this flexible staffing might imply insecurity in employment (Jonsson, 2007; Håkansson and Isidorsson, ...