Published on 10th March 2025
The Joint Employment Report discussed by the EU Employment Council on 10 May underlines that the EU employment rate reached 75.3% in 2023, which is only 2.7 pps from the 78% target by 2030. Regarding skills, the adult participation in learning rate saw only some limited progress in the EU, from 37.4% in 2016 to 39.5% in 2022, which remains far from the 60% EU headline target.
To achieve these goals, we believe a stronger focus on quality jobs is necessary. As the European Commission begins to develop its Roadmap for Quality Jobs, the private employment services industry can provide valuable insights regarding what constitutes a quality job. The world of work is undergoing significant transformations, driven by megatrends such as digitalisation, the green transition, and changing worker expectations. The World Employment Confederation-Europe believes that promoting diverse forms of work is crucial for responding effectively to these changes.
“Quality jobs are those that ensure workers’ needs are met. Those can be for example social, physical, financial, and personal, taking into consideration the different phases of life they may be in,” states Menno Bart, Member of the Executive Committee of WEC-Europe and Chairman of its Public Affairs Committee. “Through appropriate regulation and strong social dialogue, the employment and recruitment industry is already delivering quality jobs, contributing to higher economic growth, reduced informality, and more inclusive labour markets.”
The Value of Diverse Forms of Work
Diverse forms of work—such as part-time employment, fixed-term contracts, platform work, freelancing, and agency work—are increasingly recognised for their value in modern labour markets. Existing EU regulations, including the Directive on Temporary Agency Work and the Directive on Platform Work, create a framework that ensures appropriate employment and working conditions for workers in these various forms of employment.
Moreover, the sector has developed, on a voluntary basis, innovative solutions, such as bipartite funds that offer portable and transferable rights, to enhance the quality of jobs. Research by the World Employment Confederation shows that agency workers generally have comparable social protections to those with open-ended contracts.
Effective social dialogue is essential for ensuring job quality. The agency work industry is unique in that it has representative sectoral social partners at the national, European, and global levels. The future EU Roadmap for Quality Jobs must prominently feature the role of social dialogue to foster dispute resolution and collective bargaining.
A Needs-Based Approach
While all elements defining a quality job are important, their significance will vary based on individual needs and life stages. For example, students entering the workforce may have different expectations compared to young parents or workers nearing retirement. Therefore, a balanced and needs-based approach is essential when discussing quality jobs.
Labour markets that accommodate diverse forms of work also promote broader participation. Through agency work and other forms of employment offered by the private employment industry, equal opportunities are provided for women, younger individuals, people with disabilities and other groups that are often more distanced from labour markets.
The Roadmap on Quality Jobs, in conjunction with the Union of Skills initiative, is a key initiative by the European Commission aimed at enhancing Europe’s competitiveness, supporting its people, and strengthening our societies and social models. The World Employment Confederation-Europe (WEC-Europe) is ready to offer its expertise to shape this Roadmap and ensure it addresses the rapid transformations of labour markets. By actively participating in these discussions, we aim to help build a future where quality jobs are the foundation of a resilient and thriving European workforce.
For more insights into how the private employment services industry participates in delivering quality jobs and how the EU Roadmap for Quality Jobs should be designed, read our Strategic Issue Paper.
