The new year has ushered in a renewed focus on the nearly 3 million-strong temporary workforce continuing on a growth trajectory as a result of the increasingly competitive talent market and shifting labor force.
According to CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast, the demand for temporary labor is projected to remain strong as employers strive for greater flexibility in their staffing needs. More than half of employers (51 percent) have divulged their plans to hire temporary/contract workers in 2017, an increase from 47 percent last year. Moreover, nearly 2 in 3 (63 percent) intend to transition some temporary/contract workers into permanent roles this year, up from 58 percent last year.
Where Are Temp Jobs Growing?
According to a CareerBuilder nationwide survey of employers looking at temporary hiring in 2017, industries that are trending above the national average — which is 51 percent — include:
- IT (75 percent)
- Manufacturing (59 percent)
- Large health care organizations (56 percent)
If you extend that out to a three-year projection — from 2017 to 2020 — 199,639 new jobs are expected to be added in the temporary help services industry, which amounts to a solid 7 percent growth, according to Emsi data.
Here’s a sampling of some of the fastest-growing temp jobs over the next three years (2017-2020).
According to a Harris poll conducted for CareerBuilder, when employers were asked on average how much longer temporary/contract assignments were at their firm compared to pre-recession,Furthermore, the duration of temporary assignments is also expanding.
- 17 percent said six months or longer
- 27 percent said three months or longer
- 55 percent said one month or longer
How It Impacts You
Today’s employers are increasingly turning to temporary hiring when structuring their workforce, as it affords them the ability to remain flexible and agile in their staffing needs and therefore scale up their businesses with ease. They oftentimes look to temporary hiring as a vehicle to be able to test drive candidates to better determine which ones are best suited for permanent placement.
As the demand for temporary and contract jobs across all industries, company sizes and geographies continues to expand for the foreseeable future, so does the need for staffing and recruiting services to support it. You can capitalize on this opportunity by creating a pipeline of recruiters who will be ready to hit the ground running and help your clients expand their businesses.
CareerBuilder, in partnership with the American Staffing Association and Capella Learning Solutions, has launched the RightSkill recruiter program aimed at creating a new supply of job-ready, entry-level recruiters for the staffing and recruiting industry.
Learn more about RightSkill and how you can secure a pipeline of job-ready recruiters.
Kyle Braun is the president of the staffing and recruiting group at CareerBuilder. A thought leader in the staffing space, Kyle is a regular speaker at major industry events providing exclusive research and advising staffing firms on the latest news and trends shaping the industry.
