Sunday: Tulsa job seekers turn to temp jobs
BY LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Within a short time, managers at APSCO Inc. can tell if a temporary worker is going to be a good fit.
If a person doesn’t show up for work, is chronically late, exhibits poor work ethics and just stands around when there is work to do, the local manufacturing company will cut ties with that person and work with an employment agency to find a replacement.
“It’s just an easier way to try somebody out,” said Susanne Braddy, human resources manager at APSCO. “When you hire them direct, it’s a bigger commitment for us and then we could end up with somebody we have to let go of.”
Employers often hire temp workers to test them out before extending a permanent job offer. Others need them to handle increased job demand or simply for flexibility.
Regardless of the reason, the fact that so many want and need temp workers is a good sign for the economy, say observers. Oftentimes, those temp jobs lead to permanent jobs.
Nationwide, the temporary help industry hit a peak of nearly 2.7 million workers in 2006 before losing more than one-third of its members during the downturn, according to an August article in U.S. News & World Report.
Since then the industry has regained 87 percent of the workers it lost and continues to add them steadily.
Temp jobs are a good indicator of continued growth in the economy, says Bob Ball, economic research manager for the Tulsa Metro Chamber. The Tulsa-area economy has remained persistently strong over the last 18 months and doesn’t seem to be tapering off, although that could change overnight, he cautioned.
Read more in Sunday's World.
Associated Images:
Jason Hale, a temporary employee/sheet metal fabricator at Winter Fabrication Inc., measures a metal piece at the manufacturing company. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World
|
