Pasadena, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/27/2010 -- Businesses are increasingly hiring employees as temporary workers or as part-time workers. Some labor experts see this is part of a structural change in the labor market.

People working in temp jobs or part-time jobs are not only paid less for the same work, but also have little or no benefits and almost no job security. But companies have been hiring them in record numbers this year. In November alone, almost 80% of the 50,000 private sector jobs created were of temporary positions. Since January, out of the 1.17 million jobs created, 307,000 have been temporary jobs.

The reason given for this amount of temporary hiring is that businesses, especially small businesses do not want to be burdened with healthcare and retirement costs. They are also uncertain about the federal government’s economic and tax policies. Critics see this as a move to keep labor costs down by taking advantage of the high unemployment rate in the country. Allen L. Sinai, chief global economist of Decision Economics, says that this trend hints at a structural change.

Temporary work may be the best deal that a lot of people can get right now, but it’s not what they want. A survey by research firm Staffing Industry Analysts shows that 68% of the temporary workers are looking for permanent employment. EmploymentCrossing CEO A. Harrison Barnes agrees that temp work is big right now. “There have been small pickups in hiring in the past few months nationwide, but part-time and seasonal jobs are still major sources of jobs.” EmploymentCrossing has been able to find 390,000 jobs in the last seven days.