Thousands of companies rely on contract employees for strong skill sets and extra help for temporary projects. A recent report by job search website CareerBuilder revealed 40 percent of employers intend to hire temporary and contract workers this year, up from 36 percent in 2012.
"More companies are turning to temporary and contract workers to meet evolving market demands and quickly scale up their businesses," said Eric Gilpin, president of the staffing and recruiting group at CareerBuilder.
Forty-two percent of surveyed employers expect to transition some temporary workers into full-time permanent staff members in 2013. CareerBuilder published a list of several of the fastest-growing temporary positions. They include: team assemblers, office clerks, customer service representatives, human resource, training and labor relations specialists, registered nurses, sales representatives, maintenance and report workers, computer programmers, accountants, electricians and business operations specialists.
Post-recession, temporary workers are a popular choice among employers who cannot afford to bring workers on full-time. Meanwhile, some individuals take temporary positions to make extra money while working full- or part-time elsewhere. Others seek contract jobs to network, take advantage of working more independently or gain experience.
"Recent graduates may find temping a great option for their first exposure into the professional workplace trying out different types of industries to see which they like best," James Esey, the president and CEO of TemPositions Group of Companies, told Forbes.
