Unemployment Up; Are You Scared?
The Labor Department released a report on Friday saying that the unemployment rate has gone up to 9.7% from last month's 9/4%. That's a very scary figure. And with some pundits reporting that more job losses might be coming, as the commercial real estate market is looking very shaky, and the general economy is somewhat off kilter, I ask this question; are you scared?
Joining an interim staffing company can offer you the opportunity to still get work all around the country, and get paid pretty well, probably better than you were getting paid at your last job. If you're proficient, you could make upwards of twice the amount of money you were making as a permanent employee. This is where an interim staffing company differs from an employment agency. They'll get you one or two day jobs that will pay you more than minimum wage, but still the kind of money that a general worker would have problems living on. Many of our front line people get at least $20 an hour, along with expenses, and some can get even more if they're proficient in something a client needs.
We're not a panacea for everyone. Staffing companies look at the skills someone has and, if it fits what a client needs, then there's a perfect match. We don't ever promise anyone that they'll get work all the time. However, what we notice is when companies slash staff, it's usually to get out from under some of those extreme expenses that come with having full departments. They often find that they still need some skilled people to come in and do some projects for them, even if those projects are short term. If you could make the money it took you a year to make before and make it in 4 or 5 months, how would that feel to you?
True, you lose out on benefits, and there's no such thing as a vacation, but if you're traveling around the country on someone else's dime, and you get time at home between assignments to do with what you will, at the very least you owe yourself to look into interim work as a nice career change. It might prove to be a nice business relationship for everyone.