Tuesday, 16 December 2025
The temporary labour market in logistics and manufacturing faced a period of adjustment in 2025, shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, macroeconomic pressures and regulatory changes. At the same time, client expectations towards temporary employment and process outsourcing agencies continued to evolve, with a growing emphasis on digital tools, compliance reporting and structured onboarding processes. Experts from Opteamic, a temporary employment and process outsourcing agency active in logistics and manufacturing, reviewed the past year and outlined key themes for 2026.
One of the most significant developments in 2025 was the introduction of new regulations governing temporary work. “The new regulations on temporary work have sparked a lot of discussion. And that’s a good thing, because they have clarified many issues and introduced more transparency. The limits of 18 months of work with one user employer within a 36-month period, which have been in force for years, have been maintained, but the obligation to keep full digital records of temporary workers’ working time and to document breaks in employment more precisely has been introduced,” says Helena Rojbul, Recruitment, Legalisation and Administration Manager at Opteamic. She adds: “At Opteamic, we have implemented appropriate tools to track limits and control documentation, which has significantly reduced onboarding time and, above all, reduced the risk of administrative errors.”
The regulatory changes stem largely from the Act of 20 March 2025 on the labour market and employment services, which replaced previous legislation on 1 June 2025. The new framework introduced more explicit rules for the operation of employment agencies, with the aim of increasing transparency and limiting practices close to unauthorised employee outsourcing. It also strengthened agencies’ responsibility for operational compliance, particularly in relation to monitoring statutory employment limits, maintaining consistent HR documentation and confirming health and safety training and authorisations. Digital systems have become increasingly important in meeting these requirements.
“Legal changes have contributed to the professionalisation of the market. Companies have begun to choose partners who have modern digital infrastructure and can ensure full operational compliance and transparency. At Opteamic, in 2025, we implemented our own health and safety record-keeping and training module, which significantly reduces the time needed to onboard an employee, while ensuring full compliance with the new legal requirements,” says Helena Rojbul.
In terms of demand, the temporary labour market remained relatively stable in 2025. Following the declines seen during the pandemic, demand for temporary workers recovered, particularly in seasonal and short-term projects where cost flexibility is a key consideration. Process outsourcing continued to gain importance, replacing more fragmented employment models in situations where operational responsibility and predictable process costs are required.
Looking ahead to 2026, the sector faces several challenges. Wage pressure remains an important issue, as employee expectations continue to rise despite stabilising inflation. Employers are expected to focus more closely on cost management and the attractiveness of job offers, while agencies are likely to play a greater role in performance analysis and the design of employment models. Competition for workers is also expected to remain strong in warehouse and manufacturing regions, where nearshoring trends are driving additional demand. In these locations, retention measures, working conditions and employee loyalty programmes are becoming increasingly relevant.
Operational transparency is another area of growing importance. Companies are increasingly requesting real-time access to data, compliance reporting and detailed labour cost analyses. As a result, digitalisation is expected to be one of the dominant trends in 2026, covering areas such as employee e-files, remote onboarding and automated performance reporting.
“Looking ahead to the coming year, we can expect to see a further strengthening of flexible forms of employment and process outsourcing as a human capital management model in industries characterised by seasonality and volatility in demand. At the same time, the role of digital tools will increase, which on the one hand will facilitate compliance with regulations and on the other will allow for more advanced analysis of costs and staffing needs. There are many indications that legislators will continue to work on tightening regulations, particularly with regard to the responsibilities of agencies and employers, which will require even greater precision in documenting the course of work,” says Helena Rojbul.
According to Opteamic, agencies that are able to combine operational, technological and advisory capabilities are likely to strengthen their market position in 2026. “At Opteamic, we are seeing that the market is maturing and expectations are growing, which is an impulse for further investment in technologies and the development of services that support not only recruitment, but also the full management of operational processes,” Helena Rojbul concludes.
Source: Opteamic
