Temporary Workers

Almost every industry—from manufacturing to health care—uses temporary workers or consultants, so employment opportunities usually abound. The coronavirus pandemic, however, has had a negative effect on staffing employment in 2020, with business lockdowns contributing to an economic slowdown. On the other hand, temporary and contract workers continue to be needed, and as businesses start reopening, employment is expected to pick up. Most new jobs will occur in the largest occupational groups: office and administrative support, production, and transportation and material moving. There will also be many opportunities in specialized fields such as nursing, health care, accounting, and information technology.

In order to stay competitive, companies must be cost effective. Temporary workers can give companies the power of additional manpower to meet important deadlines or work on special projects and provide support when they are short staffed. Businesses save money with temps because they do not have to pay costly benefits that they pay full-time employees. Also, companies can save time by contracting with temps already trained in a particular computer program instead of retraining existing employees. The American Staffing Association expects that temps in professional and technical occupations, especially health care, law, and engineering, will be in strong demand. New jobs will occur in federal, state, and local governments that will continue to contract many of its projects.

Many people enjoy working in a temporary work environment because it allows them the flexibility of choosing when and where to work. Others take advantage of temp work because it gives them access to free training. People who are unsure of their career path view temp work as a chance to audition different industries before committing to one. However, a majority of temporary workers are between jobs or are using their temporary assignments as a possible bridge to full-time employment.

Flexibility is a major perk associated with temporary work but it can also be a serious disadvantage. Once an assignment is complete, temporary workers are usually the first to be let go during a slow economy. Businesses with a smaller working budget tend to manage with existing employees instead of contracting additional help. Also, the notion of hiring temporary workers when a company is downsizing its workforce is considered bad office politics.