Released in December 2009, the 2008-18 projections anticipate job growth in the employment services industry to increase by almost 600,000, or 19.1%, over this period. By comparison, BLS forecasts that job growth for all industries in the U.S. economy will be 10.1%.

The temporary help industry is the largest segment of employment services, comprising almost 75% of this broader industrial classification. The remaining subdivisions include employment placement firms and professional employer organizations.

BLS research cites growing demand among employers for more flexible work arrangements as a driving force behind this expected growth in temporary help jobs. Challenges presented by the latest economic recession have pushed many businesses to explore the use of staffing strategies that are more responsive and more readily adapted to changes in consumer demand for their goods and services. Employing temporary workers with specialized skills will allow businesses to reduce costs resulting from hiring and maintaining idle full-time employees while also enabling them to provide quality services or goods to maintain a profitable business.

Temporary help occupations projected to have the highest job growth over the 2008-18 period include health care-related positions, office and administrative support positions, engineering positions, and transportation and material moving occupations. Specifically, the aging baby boomer population and growing demand for medical services were cited as the main drivers behind the high percentage of job growth expected for health care practitioners, medical technicians, and registered nurses.

BLS also projects a significant increase in managerial occupations, as both federal and state government agencies are increasingly expected to contract out the management functions of their agencies.  

-article courtesy of the American Staffing Industry, January 25, 2010 Staffing Week