Flexibility or fragility? Ambivalences of temporary agency work in German Early Childhood Education and Care

Temporary agency work has become a growing yet ambivalent feature of Germany’s Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system. Though agency staff make up only a small portion of the workforce, their presence reveals core weaknesses in the sector—persistent staff shortages, rigid employment models, and limited career perspectives. Drawing on a qualitative, multi-perspective study involving agency workers, agency executives, and ECEC managers, this article analyses the structural and professional ambivalences of agency employment. It situates these experiences within debates on professionalisation, individualisation, and workforce policy. The findings highlight four recurring tensions: flexibility versus insecurity, relief versus loss of belonging, financial incentives versus inequality, and autonomy versus dependency. These contradictions illuminate how agency work stabilises institutions while simultaneously eroding professional continuity. The article concludes that the attractiveness of agency work exposes deficits in permanent employment structures. Incorporating elements such as flexible scheduling, reduced administrative burdens, and rotational experiences into stable contracts could strengthen workforce sustainability and pedagogical quality in ECEC.