There has been higher demand for temporary workers recently, it has been noted, something that may provide an opportunity for those seeking graduate jobs.

Tom Hadley, director of external relations at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said that employers usually turn to temps in times of recession as an alternative to taking on full-time staff.

He explained that this can be a good way to access highly-skilled workers when they are needed.

In addition, temporary jobs offer people flexibility and can often be a more "viable option" for businesses, he remarked.

Mr Hadley added that previous economic downturns have shown that "the temp market does pick up before the perm market does".

In May, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform published a document outlining rights for agency workers in a bid to boost fairness and equality in the workplace.

Temporary employees are set to have the same rights as permanent staff after they have been in a post for more than 12 weeks.