The temporary services industry is becoming a way for contract workers to try jobs they haven't done before as well as to get back into a line of work they have been out of practice at for a while, according to Forbes. As the economy recovers, there is a shift of temporary work away from…

A recent survey indicates 33 percent of respondents plan to hire contract workers or temps in the second quarter, which is relatively unchanged from last year's number of 32 percent, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. Of the number of companies that planned to hire temps, 26 percent of them planned on hiring some of those…

The monthly unemployment rates by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics might be misleading, according to Henry Jia of The Staffing Stream. He believes unemployment levels are falling because many people have stopped looking for work. However, he adds this may ultimately be a boon for the temporary staffing industry. The additional load of workers who…

The final Markit U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) for March came in at a reading of 55.5, a slight decrease from February's mark of 57.1. Although this is a bit of a drop, a reading of over 50 indicates growth in the manufacturing industry.March's index reading is slightly lower than economists' original predictions of 56, according…

Confidence among consumers fell in March, a sign that spending may not be as robust as economists had originally predicted.The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final index, which gauges consumer sentiment, ended March with a reading of 80. This is slightly below February's index of 81.6, but higher than the preliminary March reading of 79.9.The March…

According to a new report form CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl., human resource positions will be some of the most sought after positions in 2014. The report said the hiring of temporary workers with an expertise in human resources will grow by 4 percent from 2013 to 64,049 jobs.Among the other professions that pay…

The number of people who filed for unemployment benefits dropped in the week ending on March 22, according to the Labor Department. Jobless claims fell by 10,000 over the past week to stand at a seasonally adjusted rate of 311,000, the lowest amount in four months.The decrease during the week ending on March 22 is…

Orders for manufactured goods increased in February thanks to an increased demand for products for airplanes and automobiles, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.According to the recent report from the Commerce Department, orders for long-lasting manufactured goods - items that will last three years or more - increased by 2.2 percent. The growth in February…

Consumer confidence grew in March, a sign the economy is starting to improve, according to The Conference Board.The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index increased from 78.3 in February to 82.3 in March. The figures for March mark the first time the index has reach 82 since January 2008. Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The…

The gauge that looks at future U.S. economic activity posted a slight increase in February, according to The Conference Board. The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) rose 0.5 percent in February to stand at a mark of 99.8 percent. The economy looks to be improving, as January 2014 posted an increase of 0.1 percent, an…