Temp Workers Boosting Short- and Long-term Employment Rates

 Workforce solutions provider ManpowerGroup has stated that temporary workers will remain a key factor in sustaining business growth and fueling the decline of the national unemployment rate, which rose 0.1 point in January to 7.9 percent. The company reports that the private sector added 157,000 new jobs in January, while seasonally adjusted totals for November and December 2012 rose to 247,000 and 196,000 jobs, respectively. January employment increased in retail, construction, health care, and wholesale trade as the labor-force participation rate sat at a 30-year low.

“Hiring talent on a temporary basis enables companies to assess and align the increasingly broad range of modern skills – and even discover new ones – that will give them a competitive edge in their industry,” Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup chairman and CEO, said. “In turn, employed workers jolt broader economic growth, as they boost consumer spending and the housing market. And not only do they develop and implement the critical business strategies, but they start new enterprises that create more jobs.

Joerres continued, “The science of harnessing cutting edge skills to drive business success is only starting to be realized by today’s most progressive companies. I am excited to see our clients reinforce their flexible work models in 2013, to enable them to respond to fluctuating demand and execute their business strategies.”

ManpowerGroup is also advising the unemployed, particularly the long-term unemployed, to sincerely consider available opportunities for temporary employment.

“For workers, temporary roles are a golden ticket to learning about skills in demand by today’s employers – and an excellent platform for actually using and refining skills, while earning an income,” ManpowerGroup President Jonas Prising said. “ManpowerGroup drives business success with skills assessment and development tools that align the right talent with the right business opportunity.”