Last week, we were all about employment indicators — telling you about the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September job numbers and CareerBuilder’s own quarterly forecast. Today, we’re going to focus on one of the biggest trends we noticed in the reports: the uptick in temporary employment opportunities.  

The CareerBuilder forecast found that, in the final quarter of 2010, more employers planned to hire temporary or contract employees than permanent ones, and the BLS reported that an increase in job openings in professional and business services was largely due to the addition of temporary workers.

Though many workers tend to shy away from temporary employment, seeing it as a back-up plan to landing a permanent job, taking on a temporary gig could be beneficial to your career in a number of ways. Namely, it can eliminate a potential “gap” on your résumé, give you the opportunity to explore a new career path and can even lead to a full-time job offer with your temporary company.

Additionally, despite the common belief that temp-workers switch jobs every few weeks, temporary jobs can actually provide a stable lifestyle. There is such thing as long-term temporary positions, which can last six months to a year or longer.

While many companies advertise their temporary positions right along with their permanent ones, it’s often easier to find a wide-range of temporary jobs through staffing firms, which list hundreds of available temp jobs all in one place. An added benefit is that some firms will also help you find a new assignment at the end of each temporary placement.

At CareerBuilder, we’re no stranger to staffing firms, and have thousands of temporary job listings across a wide range of industries right now. Here’s a sample of some of the top staffing firms that are currently hiring temporary workers.

1. Spherion Staffing*

Industry: Varied

Sample job titles: Forklift operator, mail clerk, copywriter

2. Accountemps

Industry: Accounting, finance

Sample job titles: Accounts receivable, payroll processor, accounting clerk

3. Volt

Industry: Varied

Sample job titles: Industrial painter, customer service representative, recruiting coordinator

4. Randstad

Industry: Varied

Sample job titles: Delivery driver, senior financial analyst, machinist

5. OfficeTeam

Industry: Administration

Sample job titles: Administrative assistant, marketing assistant, sales assistant

6. Adecco Staffing

Industry: Varied

Sample job titles: Mechanical drafter, billing clerk, warehouse worker

7. Robert Half Legal

Industry: Legal

Sample job titles: Paralegal, contracts administrator, attorney

8. Kelly Services

Industry: Varied

Sample job titles: Logistics manager, hand buffer/assembler, data entry processor  

9. NurseCore

Industry: Health care

Sample job titles: Registered nurse, surgical tech, licensed practical nurse

10. Technisource

Industry: IT

Sample job titles: Java developer, search marketing analyst, web developer

*Hint: To narrow your search down to only temporary jobs from a company or staffing firm, type “Company name AND temporary” into the search field on CareerBuilder.com.

To find additional temporary openings posted directly by companies or by staffing firms not listed here, try these search terms on CareerBuilder:

• Temporary
• Temp job
• Contract position
• Contract-to-hire
• Temporary-to-permanent
• Freelance
• Project-based

Would you ever take on a temp job? Are you working in one right now? Tell us about it in the comments section.

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