Contingent workers. Contractors. Agency Temps. No matter what you call them, your industry, or your location, most of you use them a part of your workforce strategy. And that is not likely to change in the future.
Temporary labor isn’t new – it's always been an alternative, often used during turbulent economic times. According to the Coltivar Group (http://bit.ly/1M35DCM) “In a bullish economy, the demand for contingent labor is strong. This is most likely because organizations are trying to grow with the economy, and using contingent workers allows them to work with experts when needed, without the long-term costs of hiring them.”
So it’s not surprising that there was an increase in the use of a contingent workforce during the turbulent Great Recession. What may be surprising is that we’re not seeing the historical return to permanent employees with an improved economy. Other factors for the upward trend include globalization, knowledge-driven work, and shift from “traditional” work as baby-boomers retire and Millennials increase their percentage of the workforce.
