By Morf Morford, Tacoma Daily Index
Temp workers in Washington
In an economy long ago and far away, working full-time and on a semi-permanent basis in an office, factory or cubicle was a given. But, to quote a phrase that has become a guiding principle for our era, “that was then…”.
Occupational stability, or any kind of economic solidity is, in our times, for more and more workers, a fiction from a distant fantasy world.
Here in Washington for example, more than 57,000 of us are temporary workers. That number has shifted a little, and changes year-to-year, but tends to stand at around 2% of the state’s entire workforce.
And about 18% of Washington state workers are part time.
Not just in Washington
Nationwide there are a little over 3,000,000 temporary workers, with about 17% part time. Which means that more than 80% of temp workers are full time.
I don’t know about anyone else, but having that many temp workers on a full-time basis seems a bit sketchy to me.
I understand contract employment on an as-needed basis, but for 80% of temp workers to be employed, yet not really employed, leaves workers in a peculiar and vulnerable status in terms of both income and any other kind of financial stability.
Who’s a temp?
Anyone could be a temp worker.
From students to single-parents to those scoping out a potential career field, temp work is a low-commitment venture that may or may not turn into something more permanent.
As you might guess, employment of temporary workers can act as a bellwether for overall employment.
Hiring of temp workers can be a sign of expected growth – at least for the short term.
Temp workers can get a business through a rough patch, just as employers can get a temp worker through a time of uncertainty.
And, of course, when uncertainty becomes too much, temp workers are the first to be let go.
But they are also the ones least committed and are free to seize any opportunity that may arise.
Who uses/hires temps?
In short, almost everyone. Everywhere.
As you might have noticed, temporary workers play a crucial, even essential and near constant role in industries across the U.S. (if not every) economy.
They can help fill in for employees who go on family leave, vacations, and sabbaticals.
Temporary workers also allow employers the flexibility to evaluate and screen potential employees without making a long-term hiring commitment.
And many projects, from construction to fruit picking, are, by definition, temporary or seasonal.
Temp workers can be employed directly by the company they work for, but could also be employed through a staffing agency and sent to an employer to supplement their workforce as needed.
Microserfs
The high tech industry is not immune from dependence on temp workers – in fact those industries and companies depend on them. They may (or may not) be better paid than other workers, but the instability, even inherent disposability of their skill-sets is almost a benchmark of the industry.
And it’s not just business
If you or someone you know has attended higher education in the past decade or so, there is a high likelihood that a majority of the instructors have been temporary or part-time. The word used in academic settings is “adjunct”. As in the business world, academic adjuncts are basically used as emergency “fill-in” labor with lower pay and fewer benefits – and are often used semi-permanently.
Location, location
As always, some regions and industries rely on temp workers more than others.
In South Carolina for example, a little over 3% of the workers (about 71,000) are temporary.
California has the most – (over 400,000, or a little over 2% of all workers).
Texas has almost 300,000 temp workers (about 2%).
Washington state (as of 2022) has about 1.5% temporary workers (or about 57,000), mostly in agriculture.
