ABSTRACT
New Zealand has witnessed major changes in its economic, social and employment relations frameworks and the notion of the New Zealand ‘experiment’ is renowned in academic and public policy literature (Boston et al. 1996; Kelsey 1997). The framework changes have mainly affected mainstream collective bargaining and employment patterns, though the changes have also facilitated a rise in atypical employment – including agency work. Still, New Zealand has relatively low levels of agency work though there has been a strong underlying growth pattern with the number of agencies and agency workers rising during the last decade. The growth in agency work has coincided with fluctuating unemployment and employment trends over the last fifteen years, although a relatively buoyant labour market has prompted patterns of skill shortages during the last decade. Overall, the upward trends in agency work are associated with wider labour market changes – they appear to be predominantly influenced by employer and employee demands as these adjust to business cycles and the availability and attractiveness of other forms of atypical work. Agencies have, however, also promoted agency work vigorously and have continuously sought to enlarge their market share and the overall ‘agency market’.
