Temporary workers overwhelmingly expect to focus more on traditional full-time work during the next decade and less on contingent work, according to a report released by Staffing Industry Analysts. The North America Temporary Worker Survey 2019 found 55% of temporary workers said they planned to do more full-time, traditional work in the next 10 years.
“This is consistent with previous surveys we have done with regard to temporary worker preferences,” said Jon Osborne, VP strategic research and the author of the report. “On the whole, temporary workers mostly prefer permanent work and see temporary assignments as a bridge to that.”
While the research found this holds true across almost every temp wage and age category, the degree of temporary worker expectations in performing selected types of labor varies notably by demographic categories.
“The more highly paid the temporary worker, the less they expect to be doing traditional, full-time work and lower-skilled labor in the future and the more open they become to doing other types of labor, especially high-skilled nonpermanent work, nonpermanent work for a former employer, project-based work,” the report states.
Contingent workforce managers should also note that although temporary workers do not typically see temporary work as their ideal form of employment, 61% said they would be open to another temporary assignment at the end of their current assignment. Another 28% said they might be open to another assignment, while only 11% ruled out another temporary assignment altogether.
Temps mostly use temporary work as a bridge to permanent work. A related 2016 temporary worker survey found that the majority of temporary workers surveyed – 58% – stated that their primary reason for choosing temporary work was as a method of finding a permanent job. Another 12% chose temporary work to supplement income while looking for a permanent job. Eleven percent chose temping as a way to learn new skills or get work experience, 9% chose it to supplement income while not looking for a permanent position, and the remaining 9% reported other reasons.
The report’s survey includes responses from 5,777 North American temporary workers working through staffing firms. The full report is available online to CWS Council and SIA corporate members.
