Fewer workers have moved from flexible and short-term contracts to permanent positions since the start of the economic crisis, the state job centre UWV said on Monday.

Just one in 20 is now given a permanent contract after a year as a temporary employee, compared with one in 10 prior to the economic downturn.

The percentage of people claiming unemployment benefit who find a permanent position has also gone down from 21% to 16%, the UWV figures show. Almost half of them manage to find a temporary position and 35% find work through staffing agencies.

The government is introducing new legislation in July which aims to encourage more employers to turn temps into permanent staff.