Increased temp hiring could be good news for West Michigan economy

Local temp agencies say temp hiring numbers are up, indicating that a better West Michigan job market lies ahead if the trend follows past years.

According to excerpts from the story:

Jeffrey Jason, a father of five, was laid off from his job two months ago. This month, he snagged a trial hire position as a customer service representative at Sign Comp in Walker through the EmploymentGroup employment agency. Jason, 46, is one example of a recent spike in temporary hiring in West Michigan that area employment agencies say may bode well for the near future of the local job market.

Local temp agencies say increases in temporary hiring in the past have served as a fairly accurate barometer of the job market’s future. Mark Lancaster, CEO of EmploymentGroup, said temporary placements at his agency are up 70 percent since April after a 30 percent decline last year. Lancaster said employers typically turn to temporary workers as they test the waters of an economic recovery. “Before they start hiring new employees, they want to make sure the recovery is real,” Lancaster said.

“After all recessions, there’s a big uptick in temporary hiring,” he added.

Read the complete story here.