The Low Down on Temporary Hiring in the Life Sciences Marketplace

With each passing year, the demand for temporary and contract employees continues to grow. In a workforce that now tops three million, temps have proven that they’re actually here to stay for the long term. Thanks to staffing flexibility, reduced costs and numerous other benefits, most companies now consider hiring temps a huge plus for business.

Who?

According to the 2017 CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast:

• 51 percent (up from 47 percent in 2016) of employers planned to hire temporary or contract workers.
• 63 percent (up from 58 percent in 2016) of employers intended to transition some temporary or contract workers into permanent roles.

According to a brief published by the US Department of Commerce in 2015:

• Temps tend to be younger than the average worker;
• are more likely to be female; and
• are less likely to have earned a master’s, doctorate, or professional degree.

In addition:

• more than 66% of workers fall into three major occupational groups, including transportation / material moving, production and office / administrative support; and
• generally earn a lower hourly wage than their permanently hired counterparts in the same occupation.

Where

According to a 2017 CareerBuilder nationwide survey, industries that are trending above the national average (51 percent) for hiring temps include:

• Information Technology (75 percent)
• Manufacturing (59 percent)
• Large health care organizations (56 percent)

According to the same 2015 brief released by the US Department of Commerce:

States in the middle and Southeastern part of the United States have been using temp workers more than other states.

When

By the year 2020, it is estimated that 40 percent of the average company’s workforce will be made up of contingent workers, including temporary staff members.

By looking at the raw data, it’s easy to determine that the demand for temp employees is on the rise and will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. Wondering if hiring temps is right for your business? Read our earlier blog post, 6 Benefits of Hiring Temporary Employees.