The struggle to gain steady employment can be a grueling one, since many companies are only hiring temporary workers and contractors. Sue Smith, director at placement firm BIE Interim, explains to The Financial Times that employers are less willing to conduct expensive searches at the moment, and they may take on temporary people, then offer…

As the economy flounders, many recent graduates or former full-time workers have had to settle for part-time work to get by. The Washington Post reports that in 2010 approximately 43 percent of laid-off workers landed jobs that paid less than their previous ones, according to a CareerBuilder survey of 900 people who lost their jobs.…

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 244,000 jobs in April. However, a majority of those additions were in low-wage work environments, The Huffington Post reports. The news source adds that nearly a quarter of new jobs were in the retail sector, where the average hourly rate…

The virtual worker has become increasingly common due to escalating pressure from company costs, improvements in technology and cheaper cloud tools, according to Livermore, California Patch. These remote part-time contract workers offer numerous benefits for employers, such as reduced overhead and lowered hourly rate expenses for hiring workers in other countries. "It helps us in…

Budget cuts have taken their toll on Montclair, New Jersey, and the town council recently approved numerous changes to counteract decreasing revenue, according to The Montclair Times. Specifically, lack of staff in the town's community services department has led to complaints by residents about their garbage not being picked up on time. "With the lack…

While most people prefer the comfort and respect that comes with holding a full-time position, AZCentral notes that ignoring listings for temp positions can hurt a candidate's career prospects. Bill Recchion, president of career placement firm Recchion and Associates, explains to the news source that in any position, there are transferable skills that job seekers…

Optimism has returned to the U.S. oil and gas industry, and there were plenty of businesses with vacancies looking to hire during the recent 2011 Offshore Technology Conference, according to Chron. The news source notes that in March there were 12,500 new vacancies posted on industry job site Oilcareers.com - 60 percent more than there…

More recent college graduates are turning to temp agencies for employment after graduation to get their feet wet in the workforce, according to KVAL-TV. The news source explains that showing experience and collecting a paycheck are important even if the applicant is not earning up to his or her potential. Patience is a virtue with…

Entrepreneur magazine explains that asking the right questions before adding a payrolling service can benefit businesses that are looking to outsource the burdensome paperwork. "Payroll is such an important piece of a business, with critical penalties if it's not handled correctly, so you need to be sure you're working with a skilled provider," Steven J.…

According to CNN, 2.3 million people held temporary jobs in March, up from 1.7 million in mid-2009. With the economy still in flux, companies continue to attempt to satisfy customer demand without making potentially risky long-term commitments to worker salary and benefits. "Employers know that the economy could change at any time," Jon Osborne, vice…