Contingent Staffing Facts

Some facts from the American Staffing Association in McLean, Virginia:

• A report released by The Conference Board shows that a majority of companies cite labor-force flexibility as the main reason for using temporary help. Other reasons include the need for special expertise, head-count control, filling in for absent employees, protecting core employees against job loss and screening candidates for full-time jobs.


• About 90 percent of temporary-staffing companies provide free skills training to temporary workers. Expenditures for skills training increased to $720 million in 1997, more than double the $260 million spent in 1995.


• In 1998, the technical and professional sectors comprised nearly one-fourth of temporary help payroll.


• More than one-third of temporary employees now prefer the alternative arrangement over traditional employment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.


• The average temporary employee earns more than $10 an hour.


• The average tenure of assigned temporary employees range from 3 to 5 months.


• 72 percent of temporary workers move on to permanent jobs.


• Staffing firms currently have made recruiting their primary focus, and many are using Web-intensive strategies.


• According to the Staffing Industry Report, the top 10 largest staffing companies captured 29 percent of the total $72 billion U.S. staffing market in 1998.


• 56 percent of temporary workers report that they learned new skills while working as a temporary employee. In addition to learning new skills, 29 percent report they found full-time, regular work as a direct result of their temporary assignment.