Temporary Staffing has long been a trend that employment experts watch to see where the market is headed.  The market indicators are certainly present to show that companies are hiring.  Ask individuals if they have seen a difference, and you’ll often hear a no. We’ve run our own polls to ask how encouraged people feel, and a lot of people are still feeling discouraged (granted we haven’t validated these findings in an official manner).

There are, of course, a few of reasons that employment agencies find growth:

• Growth gained from a competitor
• Growth gained from clients who have not used before
• Growth gained from clients who have relocated to your market
• Growth gained from clients who are hiring more temporary workers than say the last 12-24 months
• Growth gained via acquisition/merger

That being said, it’s probably fair to say that growth from competition and from acquisitions probably exist in any market (give or take a little).  Growth by truly “new” businesses that haven’t used before could go either way. Lastly growth from clients relocating would be a wash unless the business is coming from overseas.  Sure one market may see an increase, but that would be balanced by the former site that they probably closed or restructured.  What the numbers you see below show is growth in temporary staff numbers year over year.

So those are just a few items to consider when looking at where growth comes from. It is not all encompassing, but they are factors to consider.   The Bureau of Labor Statistics released these statistics regarding temporary staffing numbers.  You can see year by year where the market has changed (positively/negatively), and if you do some digging, you can find similar reports that show a span of 2001-2006 just for comparison purposes.

What does it mean? Companies really are hiring.  Don’t mistake this for companies hiring everyone. We’re still not where we were five years ago.  We feel that employers will continue to be selective on who they hire for short and long term needs.  Everyone wants to make sure that the time and money spent bringing someone on board (interviewing, training, developing) is money well spent.  It’s hard for people to be ‘sold’ on being encouraged, but the numbers are present to show positive signs in the employment climate.  For more, visit http://www.americanstaffing.net/staffingsmarts/ged1.html.