American Staffing Association News

Advice to job seekers: Try temporary employment. It is a hot topic these days and can lead you into your next permanent career.

Nationally, hiring rose in several areas, according to government reports. The job market is looking brighter because of growth in temporary jobs.

Based on a recent staffing firm survey, more than one out of seven area business owners said they were ready to make additions to their staffs. A representative from a local staffing firm noted that while companies may still be hesitant to add permanent staff, many are adding temporary workers as they gauge whether they're ready to bring them on as permanent employees.

A debate ensues about the cost-effectiveness of using a staffing firm's temporary employees to fill gaps left at a hospital by striking nurses. The staffing firm is not a member of ASA.

A new report on jobless numbers and a big retailer's hiring plans combined for good news in the employment sector. One area staffing executive said that his firm is busier now than it has been during the past six months.

Some floods start with just a trickle. That may be what's happening with at least two Victor Valley staffing firms that say they are seeing a slight upswing in the number of placements and, in some cases, longer assignments.

It primarily will fall to America's businesses to turn the new health care law into reality. An example of how the law may affect the use of temporary employees is offered.

Flexible arrangements can save U.S. businesses billions of dollars a year, according to a recent report from the Council of Economic Advisers. Career experts, including a staffing firm executive, offer advice to employees interested in flexible work arrangements.

This blog post offers an analysis of the most recent ASA Staffing Index report.

Temporary employment agencies do not expect the regulation of the industry to affect profitability and instead consider other government proposals to present new opportunities.

Demand for temporary employment has rebounded from the recession and is nearing peaks recorded in the summer of 2008, the head of the BZA staffing association said.

Representatives from the nonprofit Dress for Success program and employers, including a staffing firm, offer insights into the local jobs scene, and note that while hiring is still slow, it is improving.

In a discussion about the government's latest jobs data, one economics professor notes that the rise in temporary jobs is a typical step in the recovery phase of a business cycle: Companies hire temporary workers when they're guardedly optimistic about the economy but aren't quite ready to go all in and add permanent staff.

It has been said repeatedly that the current economic recovery is missing one thing: jobs. Well, a report out Friday shows that there is evidence--although somewhat muted--that the missing link has been found. One career experts says that rises in online job listings and temporary hiring are good indicators of stability in the jobs market and the future of permanent jobs.

During this interview, a chief economist notes that staffing firms continue to see demand for temporary workers.

A staffing firm recruiter explains how she got the job, what she thinks about the staffing industry, and offers tips that job seekers can use to find work.

In the segment about the government's jobs report, a correspondent noted that temporary help jobs "really have been a big force in the gradual comeback" of the economy.

Computer and electronic product manufacturing employment held steady in the first two months of 2010 at 2,800 workers both months, according to the Washington Employment Security Department. Overall, the sector was down 400 workers since February 2009, a year-over-year decline of 12.5 percent. Companies, still wary about the stability of the economy, are instead hiring temporary workers to meet their production needs, say analysts.

Although the U.S. Labor Department announced last week the biggest jobs gain since the nation's economic recession began in 2007, local employment experts say jobs remain scarce as uncertainty prevails. One area staffing executive discussed the benefits of temporary employment for both employers and job seekers.

Employers in the U.S. created more jobs in March than at any time in the past three years, showing the recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s is broadening and becoming more entrenched. Employment of temporary workers, which are considered a harbinger of permanent hiring, climbed in March for a sixth consecutive month.