Temporary and Contract Hiring to Increase in 2012, According to CareerBuilder Survey »

CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — More than a third (35 percent) of American companies are operating with smaller staffs than before the recession. To keep pace with market demand, many are turning to staffing and recruiting companies and temporary workers. Thirty-six percent of companies will hire contract or temporary workers in 2012. This is up from 34 percent for 2011, 30 percent for 2010, and 28 percent for 2009. Of the companies hiring temporary or contract workers this year, 35 percent have plans to hire them on a permanent basis.

The survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive from November 9 to December 5, 2011, included more than 3,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes.

Recruitment for temporary jobs will begin right away for some companies – 27 percent of companies will hire temporary or contract workers in Q1 2012.

“Temporary jobs from staffing and recruiting firms are playing an increasingly important role in the economic recovery,” said Eric Gilpin, president of CareerBuilder’s Staffing & Recruiting Group. “Our studies have pointed to a rise in these positions post-recession as companies address growing market needs. Employers are relying on temporary and contract workers to support leaner staffs, and in many cases, will transition those workers to permanent roles.”

Based on data from CareerBuilder’s Supply & Demand Portal, the following are examples of staffing and recruiting positions currently in demand:

Health Care

Occupational or Physical Therapist
Speech Language Pathologist

Industrial

Maintenance Technician or Mechanic
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Machinist

Information Technology

Java or .Net Developer
Network Engineer

Office-Clerical

Administrative Assistant
Customer Service Representative

Professional-Managerial

Business Analyst
Marketing Assistant

“Staffing and recruiting firms are on the front lines when it comes to sourcing talent for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. Candidates will find good pay, flexibility, opportunities to change careers, valuable skills training, and a bridge to permanent employment,” said Richard Wahlquist, president and CEO of the American Staffing Association. “We’ll see more employers and job seekers making connections in the New Year.”

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 3,023 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between November 9 and December 5, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 3,023, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.78 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

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