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Number of temp jobs grow in September

Posted on October 23rd, 2013 Read time: 1 minutes

Temporary employment in the U.S. is a growing trend. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20,200 temporary workers were added to the workforce in September, bringing the total number of temp workers up to 2.75 million. Out of the entire U.S. job pool, 2.02 percent are now temp positions, up from 2.00 percent in August. The percentage inches close to the 2.03 percent peak in April 2000.

While the overall percentage might be low, temp employment accounted for 13 percent of the 148,000 jobs added during September. With more than 1 in 10 new employees being assigned temporary positions, the data suggests it is a significant economic trend. Many companies are utilizing the temporary-to-permanent hiring technique, where employees are given a 'trial period' before getting the offer, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"A lot of employers and CEOs since the last recession look at labor a little differently," Thomas Morgan, CEO of staffing firm Addison Group, told WSJ. "They're not comfortable with the economy enough to bring back help full time." About 10 percent of Morgans business currently involves temp-to-hire postings.

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