2006 Staffing Employee Survey
Background
Temporary and contract work is becoming increasingly popular among the American work force. More American workers are changing jobs more often and finding they need to update and expand their skill sets if they want to remain competitive. Temporary and contract employment can satisfy these needs while providing businesses a flexible, educated, and motivated work force.
To provide a complete picture of staffing employees and their perceptions about the industry, the American Staffing Association updated its research with the largest staffing employee survey to date. From Jan. 23 to Feb. 17, 2006, Synovate, an international market research firm, surveyed 13,196 staffing employees from 186 ASA member companies.
Summary of Findings
Staffing employees see their work as a way to secure a permanent job.
- Over three-quarters (77%) of staffing employees said the opportunity to find a permanent job was an important reason why they chose temporary or contract work.
- Nearly half (47%) of staffing employees intend to continue doing temporary or contract work until they find a permanent job.
- Other reasons for choosing temporary or contract work include
- Schedule flexibility (41%)
- Employment experience and training (40%)
- Job diversity and challenge (33%)
Most staffing employees who want permanent jobs find them.
- Of those staffing employees still in the work force but not on a temporary or contract assignment at the time of the survey, more than half (53%) had taken a permanent job.
- Of those permanent jobs, nearly nine in 10 (86%) were full time.
Staffing employees overwhelmingly say their work gives them skills and experience to help them secure a permanent job.
- Nearly two-thirds of staffing employees said their temporary or contract work helped them develop new or improved work skills (65%) or gain on-the-job experience (64%).
- More than half (56%) of staffing employees said that temporary or contract work helped them get their foot in the door for a permanent job.
- Nearly two-thirds (60%) of staffing employees say that their work is helping to strengthen their résumé.
Many staffing employees prefer temporary or contract work.
- Nearly one-quarter (23%) of staffing employees work for staffing firms for lifestyle reasons.
- Survey respondents said flexible work time (23%), choice of assignments (22%), and time for family (20%) were extremely important factors in their decisions to become temporary or contract employees.
- Respondents with little or no interest in a permanent job were more likely to have a least a bachelor’s degree and earn higher wages.
Temporary or contract work meets or exceeds staffing employee expectations.
- Approximately three-quarters of staffing employees say that temporary or contract work will help them find a permanent job (71%), provide them additional income (73%), and help them improve their skills (76%).
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) of staffing employees report that their work allows for flexible work time and time for their family
Much more than a stopgap labor source, staffing employees provide businesses an educated and seasoned pool of talent.
- The average age of a staffing employee is nearly 38 years old.
- Nearly half (42%) of staffing employees have at least some college education, while nearly a third (32%) have received a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree.
Staffing employees are very satisfied with their current staffing firms and would recommend temporary and contract work to others.
- A large majority (90%) of staffing employees say they are satisfied with their current staffing firm.
- Nearly nine in 10 (88%) staffing employees would refer a friend or relative to work as a temporary or contract employee.
- The reasons for employee satisfaction include
- Treatment from their staffing firm, supervisors, and co-workers
- Amount of hours worked
- Types of work done on assignments
Contact
Reem El-Khatib
Public Relations Coordinator
703-253-2047
relkhatib@americanstaffing.net
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