ABSTRACT
The growth of market-mediated employment relationships during the 1990s, and the erosion of the internal labour market model, is well documented (see for example Lovering 1990; Cappelli 1995; Rajan et al. 1997). Recent research confirms a strengthening of this trend in the UK (Purcell and Purcell, 1999; Cully et al. 1998). Linked to the continuing retreat from traditional ‘standard’ employment patterns is the growing use of certain types of non-standard labour. Interest in the use of a more ‘contingent’ or insecure workforce (Christensen 1998; Heery and Salmon 2000) is said to be growing more rapidly in Europe than the USA (Manpower 1999), where the market may be maturing.
