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March job openings down from February, up year-over-year

Posted on May 12th, 2014 Read time: 2 minutes

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported there were 4.0 million job openings in March, which is a decline of 2.7 percent from February. The number of total hires declined by 1.6 percent month-over-month. However, the number of job openings in March of 2013 was only 3.88 million, for a total gain of about 3.5 percent year-over-year.

Additionally, the majority of IT workers, including temporary workers, remain confident, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.  The Randstad Technologies Employee Confidence Index has remained around 60.0, declining this month from 60.4, which is the highest number ever recorded since the survey first began in 2005.

"More than one-third of technology workers, or 35 percent, believe there are more jobs available this quarter and they are largely right," said Bob Dickey, Randstad president. "[…] Social media continues to explode, cloud computing remains a huge focus for companies and mobile technology is the new norm for a lot of business interactions."

In the view of the complicated situations with jobs, whether job openings will increase or decrease, it becomes important to treat temp workers properly. The government has been cracking down further on those who are abusing the difficult job market to take advantage of temporary workers.

In other words it continues to be important to hire a company that will treat temp workers properly. By taking on the job of a temp services agency, a company has promised to record all relevant information and ensure governmental compliance. Staffing Industry Analysts reported two ship repairing companies based in New Jersey – Bayonne Dry Dock and Repair and Coastwide Material Supply Corp.  – recently paid nearly $300,000 because their employer of record did not keep proper accounts of employee hours and overtime. Furthermore, the companies were working on government contracts, which have special rules. After the companies were told of their mistakes, they agreed to pay the necessary back wages and comply with all regulations having to do with their work for the government.

"The payment of back wages, damages and the potential for debarment reinforce the responsibility of government contractors to pay the proper wages to employees who work on public projects," said John Warner, district director of the Wage and Hour Division's Northern New Jersey district office, which conducted the investigation.

Always ensure you hire the best temp agency you can find.

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