Temp Jobs
PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In the last eight years, Stephanie has had four jobs, two of which she landed since the recession began. She is not a job-hopper, though – she’s a professional contract staffer. In three of her four assignments, Stephanie was placed by Westport One, an affiliate of MRINetwork®, one of the world’s largest search, recruitment, and professional staffing organizations. Her experience, says Debbie Maul, manager of contract staffing at Westport One, is typical for many of the two million temporary workers across the country.
“Stephanie began as a contractor at Frito-Lay® in 2003 and was converted to a permanent position, where she worked for three years,” says Maul. “In 2006, we placed her on a long-term contract at Panera Bread®, which lasted ten months. She then found a permanent position on her own, but was downsized and returned to Westport One. We then placed her at TALX/Equifax®, where after six months, she was hired as a permanent employee, a position she still holds.”
“Taking the contractor route was the best thing that could have happened to my career,” Stephanie believes. “I accepted a contract assignment because I was out of work and didn’t have other options, but the benefits to me personally and professionally have been enormous. I increased my earning power, and was able to go back to school and get my BA in communications.”
“Most contract employees have very positive views of their contract work experiences,” says Tim Ozier, director of contract staffing at MRINetwork. “Their temporary assignments can give them exposure to an array of responsibilities and companies, often while earning more competitive starting salaries than they would in permanent positions.”
Some people now choose contract work on a permanent basis for lifestyle reasons, observes Maul. “Although bridging to a permanent job is often the goal of many contractors, others are attracted by flexible work time, choice of assignments and having more time for family,” she says.
MILWAUKEE, March 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Manpower Inc., (NYSE: MAN) world leader in innovative workforce solutions, says the increase in c is driving the U.S. economy forward as companies move to meet growing demand for their products and services. The economic recovery in the U.S. gathered pace in February — with the Bureau of Labor Statistics announcing that job gains occurred in temporary help, manufacturing, construction and several service-providing industries.
The unemployment rate fell again last month by 0.1 of a percentage point to 8.9 percent — its lowest level since April 2009 — as nonfarm payroll employment increased by 192,000 in February. With the jobs market showing improvement, employers now face the prospect of a war for talents as those individuals with in-demand skills become more sought-after and more difficult to find.
“We are definitely seeing improvements in the U.S. jobs market as companies begin to feel more positive demand for their products and services,” said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO. “It looks as if employers have reached the limit of what they can do with current staffing levels, but are frustrated by an inability to find the right talent in the marketplace and beset by lingering doubt over the sustainability of the recovery.
“This is manifesting itself in companies looking to contingent and flexible workers to complement their existing workforce and help get their product out the door. Employers will still be forced to do more with a leaner workforce that has a dynamic mix of permanent and contingent workers as there will be no return to the pre-recession ‘old’ normal. In this new era, that Manpower has defined as the Human Age, employers need to tap into the passion, creativity, and innovation of their inner human potential in order to adapt to this new reality.”
Employment services added 29,000 jobs in February and within this sector, temporary employment showed a slight rise. The number of discouraged workers — those who have abandoned their job search because they believe there are no jobs available for them — dropped by 184,000 a year earlier to one million. Next week, Manpower releases its quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, which measures employers’ hiring intentions for the next three months and serves as a bellwether of labor market trends and activities.