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Thursday, February 9, 2012

Temporary staffing appears robust

Observation:   A posting from the AMEX Open Forum blog this morning suggests that temporary employment is picking up across the U.S.  The story is informed by Stephen Berchem, president of the American Staffing Association.  Click here to see it.

Implications:   The reason Temp Staffing is an important benchmark, of course, is that it serves as a canary in the coal mine; temporary workers are among the first cut going into a bad economy, and among the first hired when an economy is picking-up steam.  (Companies can add employee firepower on an as-needed, or contingency, basis.  That allows them to wade toward increased capacity without diving into higher expenses, and getting in over their head.) 

Who cares?  Anyone who sells anything.  Paychecks are the prerequisite to purchasing… it’s that simple.  In the aftermath of the recession that ended in June, 2009, many employees were looking for two or more lower-paying jobs to replace the career position that they had lost.  A temporary staffing spike gives those people more options, as well as an entrée into new companies and career opportunities.  Further, it is a signal that overall employment can be expected to gain momentum.

Mike Anderson, for the Elm Street Economics consumer trends blog. A service of The Center for Sales Strategy, Inc.

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