Despite a weak economy, there is one sector of the employment landscape that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years:
In September 2013 alone, staffing agencies accounted for 20,000 of the 148,000 jobs added, according to the U.S. Labor Department. And in fact, while temporary jobs made up approximately 10% of jobs lost to the recession, they’ve since made up nearly 20% of jobs gained since the recession ended.
So why are more and more companies looking to temporary staffing to help build their businesses?
Many reasons, including:
An uncertain economy.
Today more than ever, companies want flexibility in their workforce. Investing in full-time employees is not a cost many employers are willing to bear unless absolutely necessary.
With a temporary workforce, though, they can avoid having too many workers during a downturn and not enough during an uptick in demand. Temporary staffing enables them to enjoy the benefits of a just-in-time workforce – one they pay for only when they need it.
The healthcare reform law.
While President Obama has delayed the employer mandate portion of the healthcare law for a year, the deadline is looming…and companies know it. But when they use a temporary staffing firm, rather than having to hire a 50th employee – and be required to provide medical coverage to all employees – they can sidestep this cost while still accessing the talent they need.
A variety of skilled professionals.
It used to be that temporary work was for those just entering the workforce or those in the administrative or manufacturing industries. However, today’s temporary and contract workers look much different. In fact, the use of temporary employees has extended into fields such as law, medicine and IT.
In addition to helping companies access the skilled people they need – only when they need them – temporary staffing has benefited workers too. For instance, many laid off employees would simply remain on unemployment during their job search. But with a temporary job, they’re given the opportunity to maintain or sharpen their skill set, grow their network, remain productive and earn a paycheck.
Are you an employer or worker interested in all temporary staffing has to offer? Give Peoplelink a call. As a temporary staffing agency with over 25 years of experience, we can help match you with the right people – and the right opportunities – in a variety of industries nationwide.
