Flexible employment: Composition and trends

Segal, Lewis M.

doi:10.1007/bf02685797

Cited by 35 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1 These two categories are much larger than temporary services, making up 17.5 percent and 11.8 percent of the work force, though neither is growing especially rapidly (Segal, 1996). Together, the three categories do account for approximately one-quarter of the work force, but temporary services workers are only a small part of the combined total.…”

Section: Employment Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Growth of Temporary Services Work

Segal

Sullivan

1997

Journal of Economic Perspectives

276

204

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Temporary services employment grew rapidly over the past several decades and now accounts for a sizable fraction of aggregate employment. The authors use Current Population Survey data to examine the changing nature of temporary work and discuss explanations for its growth. Temps are no longer overwhelmingly female or limited to clerical occupations. They have less labor market security than permanent workers, being prone to more unemployment and more underemployment. Few, however, are in temp positions a year later and the majority transition to permanent employment. Temp wages are approximately 20 percent below permanent workers, but individual and job characteristics explain approximately two-thirds of the gap.

show abstract

Section: Employment Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Growth of Temporary Services Work

Segal

Sullivan

1997

Journal of Economic Perspectives

276

204

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One is the apparently large role that contract companies, especially temporary help agencies, play in the adjustment to business cycles. Temporary help employment is considerably more variable than other forms of employment (Golden 1996;Segal andSullivan 1995, 1997;Theodore and Peck 2002), and, it has been hypothesized, firms increasingly use contract workers to accommodate uncertainty and flux in input and product markets (Abraham 1988;Abraham and Taylor 1996;Davis-Blake and Uzzi 1993;Golden and Appelbaum 1992;Houseman 2001). Reasons for this greater reliance on contracting out include reduction in hiring and recruiting costs and the elimination or reduction of layoffs by client companies, which, in turn, may reduce companies' unemployment insurance costs or their exposure to unjust dismissal lawsuits (Autor 2003;Dertouzos and Karoly 1992;Hachen 2004;Lee 1996;Masters and Miles 2002;Polivka 1996a).…”

Section: Importance Of Documenting Domestic Outsourcingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of evidence has pointed to significant growth in domestic contracting out over the last two decades (Abraham 1990;Abraham and Taylor 1996;Segal 1996; Segal and Sullivan 1997;Theodore and Peck 2002). When organizations outsource tasks to a contract company, the employer of record for workers performing the tasks changes, and frequently so too does the industry in which the workers are employed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We recommend steps to improve data in this area. While much attention has been given to the apparent growth of imported goods and services inputs-socalled offshoring or offshore outsourcing-our paper focuses on contracting out that occurs within theUnited States-what we term domestic contracting out or outsourcing.A variety of evidence has pointed to significant growth in domestic contracting out over the last two decades (Abraham 1990;Abraham and Taylor 1996;Segal 1996; Segal and Sullivan 1997;Theodore and Peck 2002). When organizations outsource tasks to a contract company, the employer of record for workers performing the tasks changes, and frequently so too does the industry in which the workers are employed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

What Do We Know about Contracting Out in the United States? Evidence from Household and Establishment Surveys

Dey¹,

Houseman²,

Polivka³

2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may ABSTRACTA variety of evidence points to significant growth in domestic contracting out over the last two decades, yet the phenomenon is not well documented. In this paper, we pull together data from various sources to shed light on the extent of and trends in domestic outsourcing, the occupations in which it has grown, and the industries engaging in outsourcing for the employment services sector, which has been a particularly important area of domestic outsourcing. In addition, we examine evidence of contracting out of selected occupations to other sectors. We point to many gaps in our knowledge on trends in domestic outsourcing and its implications for employment patterns and to inconsistencies across data sets in the information that is available. We recommend steps to improve data in this area. While much attention has been given to the apparent growth of imported goods and services inputs-socalled offshoring or offshore outsourcing-our paper focuses on contracting out that occurs within theUnited States-what we term domestic contracting out or outsourcing.A variety of evidence has pointed to significant growth in domestic contracting out over the last two decades (Abraham 1990;Abraham and Taylor 1996;Segal 1996; Segal and Sullivan 1997;Theodore and Peck 2002). When organizations outsource tasks to a contract company, the employer of record for workers performing the tasks changes, and frequently so too does the industry in which the workers are employed. Thus, large shifts in the patterns of domestic outsourcing may affect the industry structure of employment in the economy.Accurately measuring growth in outsourcing and the industries engaging in it, we argue, is important for understanding the changing industrial structure of employment in the U.S. economy, constructing and interpreting sectoral productivity statistics, assessing the role outsourcing plays in adjustment mechanisms, and understanding its implications for workers and a variety of labor market policies. Yet the phenomenon is not well documented. In this paper, we pull together a variety of evidence on the extent of and trends in domestic outsourcing, the occupations in which it has grown, and the industries engaging in outsourcing for the employment services sector, which has been a particularly important area of domestic outsourcing. In addition, we examine evidence of the contracting out of selected occupations to other sectors. We point to man...

show abstract

“…Recipients Can Reduce Employer Taxes by $8,500 Per New Hire" (http://www.doleta.gov/wtw/ 1 Temporary help services employment increased at a pace five times faster than overall employment between 1979 and 1995 (Segal 1996). 2 The U.S. Department of Labor Web site describes the WOTC as "one tool in a diverse toolbox of flexible strategies designed to help move people from welfare to work and gain on-the-job experience" (USDOL 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%