Why it's so hard to claim job outcomes

New Deal providers can only claim a job outcome if the job is intended to last for 13 weeks or more and is 16 or more hours per week. A4e fell foul of this when they agreed with a recruitment agency to put temporary jobs down as permanent; but they were unlucky, since many providers have done the same thing. The problem is that so many jobs these days are on a short-term contract or casual basis. An article on the Recruiter website illustrates this. A big waste management company, Veolia, has engaged a recruitment company, Barker Ross, to supply "flexible" staff. We all know what that means. Then we're told "Barker Ross is also to supply locally-based staff to Veolia’s Sheffield site and is working with Action for Employment and the Jobcentre to place candidates." Great news for people who get work. But if the agency places A4e clients as "flexible" staff, without guaranteeing them 13 weeks work, they can't be claimed as job outcomes.