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Temporary Employment To Grow Three Times as Fast as Total Employment Over Next Decade

LOS ALTOS, Calif., – Feb. 9, 2007 – Legal, computer and management temporary jobs are likely to be the occupations most in demand over the next decade, according to a comprehensive analysis of the nation’s temporary job market by Staffing Industry Analysts, the premier provider of market intelligence about the contingent workforce.
Among the major highlights in Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2007 Temporary Jobs Guidebook is the fact that demand for skilled occupations continues to grow robustly due to continuing low professional unemployment and a fundamental shift in the composition of the U.S. workforce.

“From our analysis, we predict that over the next 10 years, corporate America is likely to face a distinct challenge to find highly skilled workers to help them achieve their business objectives,” said Barry Asin, Chief Analyst of Staffing Industry Analysts. “As a result, employers can expect rising prices for skilled temporary help and longer waits to find these workers. For temporary staffing firms, the demand for contingent workers will translate into a growth opportunity for the foreseeable future.”

2007 Temporary Jobs Guidebook is designed to help the Fortune 1000 and temporary staffing companies make decisions about how to purchase and supply labor. The report analyzes total employment, pay, and growth of more than 500 occupations. (For a list of the fastest growing occupations, see the attached table.)

Other highlights from the Temporary Jobs Guidebook include:

  • Demand for temporary labor will outpace the growth of total employment. Over the next decade, total employment is projected to grow 1.2% annually, while contingent labor is expected to grow 3.8% annually. Over the last 16 years, total employment has grown 1.3% annually, while contingent labor has grown 5.2%
  • Strong demand for IT workers to continue with no end in sight. The top five occupations expected to experience the largest annual growth in temporary employment in the coming decade are all information-technology related. Demand for network systems and data communications analysts is expected to experience the greatest annual increase, growing a projected 8.5% annually.
  • Demand will be strong for Office & Administrative Support, Transportation & Material Moving, and Production workers. These three occupations are expected to account for nearly 75% of the demand for all temporary staffing. A single category – laborers, freight, stock and material movers – will account for 16% of all temporary help across the U.S.
  • Registered nurses are the most commonly placed skilled temporary professional. Reflecting the continuing shortage of healthcare workers, nurses will be among the most frequently placed category of skilled temporary labor in 2007. Approximately 50,000 nurses and 30,000 licensed practical nurses are temporary assignment on any given day.
  • Civil engineers are the most sought-after occupation. With just 0.3% unemployment, there is a severe shortage of civil engineers. Also in short supply are occupational therapists, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, meter readers, lawyers, procurement clerks and financial analysts. Unemployment rates for these occupations are all at 1% or below.
  • Landscaping and grounds keeping is among fastest growing occupations. There are nearly 1 million temporary landscaping and grounds keeping workers in the U.S. That number is increasing at roughly five times the rate of U.S. employment in general.
  • Staffing firms rush in to satisfy demand for team assemblers. Over the past 18 months, the occupation seeing the greatest net inflow of staffing firms was team assembler, those individuals who work as part of a team and have responsibility for assembling a product or component of a product. More than 450 more staffing firms began offering such workers in the latest reported period, an increase of approximately 50%. More than 110,000 temporary workers are employed as team assemblers across the country. In this $3 billion market, temporary help penetration is 9.2%, far higher than most other occupations.

To order the Temporary Jobs Guidebook, contact sales at 650-232-2350 or kmarechal@staffingindustry.com.