Wall Street Journal Online (06/15/12) Sue Shellenbarger

Staffing companies have become a primary route for workers looking for professional or managerial employment on a flexible or part-time schedule. For the past several years, demand for college-educated professional and managerial temporary employees has outpaced the demand for pink- or blue-collar temporary workers. Many staffing companies—including Atlanta-based Flexible Executives—specialize in the placement of high-skilled workers, who can earn pay ranging from $20 to $200 per hour depending on the job.

Debby Johnson, a certified public accountant, has been working part-time assignments through a staffing firm since 2008, which allows her the flexibility to tend to family needs. According to Steve Berchem, chief operating officer of the American Staffing Association, 80% of staffing employees work full-time hours on assignments averaging 13 weeks. This flexibility allows for high-skilled workers to take on several assignments in a short amount of time.