45% US cos to hire temporary workers

Restructuring workforce seems to be another lesson taught by the economic slowdown as a large number of American companies are expecting to hire temporary workers as IT and professional staff in the near future, a survey has found.

Forty five per cent of the polled organizations anticipate hiring temporary workers as part of their current and future workforce, according to a report by staffing services provider Veritude.

The research also found that 25 per cent of the organisations polled plan to increase temporary IT and professional hiring in the near future.

"The current economy has forced almost every company to re-examine and restructure their hiring and staffing models," Veritude executive vice president Tom Hart said.

"Hiring qualified temporary knowledge workers gives companies more flexibility as well as opportunities to reduce costs, which are important factors in any economy. Our research uncovered that many organisations have used the current economic lull to redefine the composition of their workforces," Hart added.

Recognising the benefits of a temporary staff strategy, 33 per cent organisations discern more flexibility to scale workforce to match demand and 30 per cent recognise the ability to handle seasonal fluctuations and the ability to use a "try before you buy" approach, according to the survey.