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Contract Staffing Industry Trends

So what niches are the best for contract staffing? Before you decide what niche to start recruiting for, let’s take a look at some staffing industry trends.

According to CareerBuilder’s 2015 MidYear Job Forecast of the staffing services industry, the demand for temporary or contract workers rose 33% from 2014. Below are some staffing industry statistics we saw with our recruiters’ contract placements in 2015.

Healthcare

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) increased the number of insured individuals who can seek health care. ACA change initiatives also required healthcare providers to overhaul some of their core processes. Medical contractors provide business solutions for this need.

Most common contract positions:

  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Registered Nurse

Engineering/Manufacturing/Scientific

The biggest factor here is the technical skills gap, from unfilled top-level engineering roles down to a lack of skilled manufacturing technicians.

Most common contract positions:

  • Mechanical Designer
  • Testing Engineer
  • Modeling ENgineer

Information Technology

Businesses may be increasing their use of IT contract staffing to hedge their bets against an uncertain global economic picture. IT workers have a history of embracing contract employment, making it easy to convince them of the benefits of IT contract recruitment.

Most common contract positions:

  • UNIX Systems Administrator
  • .Net Developer
  • NAV Developer

Finance/Accounting

This sector has multiple factors making experienced workers possess the bargaining power. These professionals continue to demand flexibility and work/life balance. Businesses utilize contractor workers to cover their talent gaps and offer workers the flexibility they require.

Most common contract positions:

  • Payroll Administrator
  • A/R Clerk
  • Accountant

Legal/HR/Recruiting

It is getting harder for employers to find the skilled workers they need. The skills gap led businesses to seek recruiting help from contract talent acquisition professionals in 2015.

Most common contract positions:

  • HR Assistant
  • Paralegal
  • Compensation Consultant

Sales/Marketing

Contract-to-direct roles for sales and marketing professionals allow businesses to evaluate workers’ skills in real-time before extending a direct offer of employment.

Most common contract positions:

  • Marketing Operations Manager
  • Sales Representative
  • Brand Manager

These niches should give you and your recruiting business an idea of what industries you want to go after. Now that you know what niches have potential business for your contract staffing business let’s look at some ways to get job orders on your recruiting desk.