Staffing Industry Review (02/01/12) Craig Johnson

The number of staffing clients saying they let temporary workers go because of assignment time limits in 2011—66%—was up from 55% that said they had assignment limits in 2009, according to a survey of staffing buyers by Staffing Industry Analysts. A majority of buyers cited “legal/co-employment risk” concerns as a reason for assignment limits, with “union agreements” and “historical decision of previous managers” also often cited. The survey polled 236 staffing buyers from large firms that employ more than 1,000 people.

The specter of the lawsuit Vizcaino v. Microsoft also lingers. In that case, from more than a decade ago, independent contractors sued Microsoft after a U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit ruled they were common law employees. The workers sued the company for unpaid benefits, and Microsoft ended up settling the “retro-benefits” case for $97 million.

San Francisco Chronicle (02/02/12) Carl Camden

Carl Camden, chief executive officer of Kelly Services Inc. and a member of the Business Roundtable, says a new approach is needed to create work in the U.S. economy, “one that acknowledges the sea change in what employment means. The time is ripe to overhaul rules, regulations, obstacles and policies that hinder individuals from working on a contract basis and that block businesses from hiring the talent they need.” Camden notes the size of what he calls the self-employed “free agent” work force now encompasses about 44% of the overall work force, or nearly 80 million people, according to Kelly’s research.

Camden cites the difficulties a self-employed entrepreneur faces, including uncertain U.S. Internal Revenue Service definitions, buying health insurance, and saving for retirement. He calls on government to streamline regulations covering free agents, and expand programs that help new entrants to the labor market understand the alternatives to conventional employment.

Investor’s Business Daily (02/04/12)

A survey by finance, accounting, and staffing firm Accounting Principals finds that U.S. workers are concerned about their personal short-term finances rather than long-term investments in 2012. Paying down personal debt, such as credit cards and other outstanding bills, is a top priority for 43% of respondents, according to the survey. Only 27% of workers plan to put money away in an emergency savings fund, while 23% plan to contribute to their company’s 401(k) plan.

St. Louis Business Journal (02/03/12) Nicholas Ledden

Half of the firms cited on the list of the St. Louis area’s largest temporary staffing firm have an information technology staffing focus. The 15 firms on this year’s list sent out close to 35,000 W-2s combined and kept anywhere from a dozen to more than 12,000 temporary or contract employees available for placement last year. The top five St. Louis-area staffing firms for 2011 were Rose International, Aerotek Inc., Byrne Software Technologies Inc., Adecco Group, and Technology Partners Inc. The list does not measure total employment numbers but aims to gauge a firm’s size.