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IQNdex Bill Rate Index Remains Nearly Unchanged

July 25, 2013

Overall temporary bill rates remained nearly unchanged despite a large increase in newly created contingent labor jobs in the United States, according to the latest IQNdex, a summary of bill rates for temporary staffing released by vendor management system provider IQNavigator. The index had been slowly rising throughout last year.

Through the second quarter of 2013, the index rose 0.1 percent to a reading of 107.4 in June, slowing from a 0.6 percent increase in the first quarter.

The employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2015, but it is the payroll profile and individual work histories recorded in 2014 that will determine the specific impact of Obamacare going forward.

“This means that the time is now for companies to start making plans and securing the tools and expertise required to optimize performance under the new law,” said Gary Pollard, vice president, information products, at IQNavigator. “Obamacare highlights the value of using contingent labor to meet many needs, but it also adds a layer of complexity,” he said.

Although aggregate bill rates were unchanged, there were variations within segments. Bill rates rose 1.8 percent in the light industrial sector in the second quarter and 1.0 percent in the technical-IT sector. However, second-quarter bill rates fell 1.4 percent in the professional-managerial job sector and slipped by a half a point in the office-clerical sector.