Temp jobs a permanent solution?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/jobs/ct-biz-1112-stuck-workers-20101111,0,609358.story

A permanently temporary solution

Many workers have settled into full-time temp positions as the job market remains tight

By Alejandra Cancino, Tribune reporter

8:27 p.m. CST, November 11, 2010

After years searching for permanent jobs, many skilled workers in the Chicago area are getting used to the new normal: temporary employment.

These are workers with established careers, who were making up to $100,000 a year as midlevel managers or executives before the recession. Now, they are temporary workers, hired without benefits and at a fraction of what they used to make.

They are workers like Bob Szabo, 48, who moved to Chicago in early 2007 to become the chief operating officer of a wireless services company. He was laid off a few months later, then rehired and laid off again in 2008.

"I figured the downturn would last five or six more months, and figured that, if nothing else, I would find a job as a loan officer at a bank," Szabo said.

All this "temporary worker" and "independent contractor" bullshit has got to stop.

I work in purchasing for a large company, and the states are finally addressing this issue. For decades the 1000 hrs. rule, and the general "if you do the same thing as an employee with full-time workers around you" guideline was ignored by states and companies. Just this year the states are going after the companies for the tax money that they have been losing. The place where I work is facing a $60+ million tax hit. Our team is struggling with figuring out which temps. are really consultants and shouldn't be taxed vs. those who should be.

Personally, I think this is a smart move by the states. Companies spend a ton more to temp. agencies than they would on salaries. It's the lack of paying benefits, taxes, and convenience of firing people that makes it worthwhile. Start taking away these advantages and companies will be forced to hire workers.

Many temp jobs come without benefits like health insurance and 401k.

this was several years ago. he was hired as a temp to hire and was a temp for over a year. there was another guy who was a temp to hire that had been a temp there for almost two years. most jobs around here require you to go through a temp agency. even for the job i used to have my sister said they only hire through temp agency now.

One acquaintance has turned down job offers from several employers and has become valuable to the temp service...and he makes a nice buck. He's a computer/IT tech and knows he's in demand and so does the temp agency. He likes it cause he jokes that he can "fire" a boss and likes the regular change of location/atmosphere.

I've known others who found full-time gigs temping first. But that depends on the economy...and right now even temp jobs are tough to come by.

nt

I know for certain he has a very nice family. His wife also works so I have no clue if he's getting insurance through the temp agency or with his wife. He seems very satisified with this arrangement...he's rarely without some project going on and if I had to guess, I'd say he brings in a minimum of 60k a year...but he's also liable for his taxes and SSI.

I'm glad it is working out for him, and he has the skills to do it. Sort of like being a consultant at his level.

For the average worker it doesn't come out that way. So many low-wage jobs in retail and service now - I'm waiting for those folks to start unions. Union membership is down to about 9% now in this country, but I would think it may go up as folks realize that "good" jobs are harder and harder to find.

I saw it throughout the 80s. In some cases it were unions that become too cozy with management or top heavy in their own administration and/or importance and failed their members. It started going downhill with PATCO...going from 1 in 4 workers to 1 in 10 (as your 9% proves). I've long wished to see the union movement energize itself and have seen glimmers of hope (SEIU and NTA) but there's still too much "provincialism" where some only protect their immediate turf and there's little solidarity that has enabled the corporates to box them in corners.

Sadly the "average" worker has been made obsolete and outsourced. We lost 8 million jobs during the boooosh years that aren't coming back. We lost the industrial base under Raygun and the service sector under boooosh. Wish I could be more positive but not a week goes by where I don't hear of another friend or acquaintance that's lost a job or gone underwater with debts. Unlike the Depression where the suffering was shared...this one is very quiet and personal.

All my best to you. Hope something good comes your way.

Cheers...

is the key as you mention. A large part of it is our press I'm sure, demonizing and dividing everyone. Best to you as well.

Teamsters. By contract the company could only have so many temp worker at a time or for so long, otherwise it was an indication they could put on more full time union workers. I've liked temp working because it is like dating before marriage for both sides. Certainly it is misused, but it has benefits as well.

I am currently out of work and will likely go temping again. I've found that once I get going they will keep me as busy as I would like to be. If they propose a job that I don't like I can just say no.

and that over ride that pays the temp agency fails to ever reach your pocket.

There is some silver lining there but unless you're in a very high demand field that allows you to write your own ticket it is a rip off with no security.

in his field and worked that for over a year, after which the company offered him a full-time permanent position with benefits. It seems that is how that company tends to do much of its hiring during the past 5 years.
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