For staffing and recruiting firms trying to build their contract staffing businesses, identifying the industries with the most opportunity is paramount. While temporary and contract workers have always been around, the Great Recession caused the demand for temporary and contingent labor to rise sharply. At present, about three million temporary workers and contract workers are employed each week at various US companies.
While data isn’t available for specific businesses, we can see trends across industries. From there, we can look at the biggest businesses in those industries to give a good idea of who is hiring, and what for. Knowing this information can help agencies target the right industries and chase the right opportunities, with the ultimate goal of growing their contract staffing businesses.
Industrial – 37% of all Temporary Workers
It might be surprising to know that sales and customer service aren’t the top industries hiring temporary workers. Instead, the industrial sector takes the lead year after year. That means 37% of all temporary workers are placed in jobs that involve everything from waste management and metal fabrication to construction and even aerospace and defense.
When looking for specific companies, you’ll see that a sector this big had multiple giants. Groups like Boeing, Turner Construction, and or just the local waste management organization will hire people seasonally and for specific projects that may be starting up. These groups offer great opportunity for contract staffing firms.
Office: Clerical and Administrative – 28% of all Temporary Workers
The next sector might sound more familiar to those that know about contract and temp work. In fact, most TV shows, when referencing temp workers, will be talking about office workers. These contracts and short-term jobs often involve doing things like sorting emails, making phone calls, helping with taxes, and more.
Depending on your skill set, getting a temp job in an office could be a breeze. Businesses that really look into temporary workers can include lawyers’ offices, tax offices, and HQ of retailers. While each of those is often seasonal based on industry fluctuations, 35% of all temporary workers are offered a permanent job at the end of the season.
Managerial Roles – 13% of all Temporary Workers
Many don’t think that a role as a manager is something that can be temporary, or staffed for by a contract staffing firm. However, businesses will often hire a manager to oversee a transition, run a specific and short-term project, or just in place of a person until they get back.
While finding specific businesses that lead in this hiring trend would be hard, we advise interested parties to look at business to business organizations as well as businesses that are going through big changes. A business in the process of changing , like through a merger, might need help – but not long term.
STEM – 13% of all Temporary Workers
Next on the list of temporary workers is the STEM field. Standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, this field needs workers on a short term basis all the time. Engineers are needed for random on-off projects all over the world. In addition, the information technology field is bursting with businesses who want someone to set up something – though not work there forever.
Looking for a job in the science portion of STEM is simple. The best option is to look at the giants like the Center for Disease Control as well as universities and colleges. You could also target some of the biggest technology companies. Did you know that more than half of Google’s workforce is temporary according to this report by the New York Times? However, the other fields require more work. Looking at smaller businesses is the best option; though, colleges never fail to have temporary jobs for STEM workers.
Health Care – 9% of all Temporary Workers
The final industry of significant importance is the healthcare industry. Overseeing jobs like nursing, pediatrics, oncology, and surgery, all doctors and even administration workers can find jobs in healthcare.
The best way to find a job in this industry is to start with larger hospitals in your state. While smaller hospitals and private businesses will have options, larger locations will have a higher rate.
Looking for Help?
Many of the staffing and recruiting firms that we speak to ask questions about where the biggest opportunities are. The above information should be a helpful head start to get your firm pointed in the right direction. Whether you are targeting a new market or building a contract staffing business for the first time, these industries should provide the greatest opportunity. For firms looking for more than just advice, FoxHire’s Employer of Record solution can make attacking these markets even easier, and allow you to spend your time recruiting rather than doing the back office tasks.
