Reuters (10/05/12) Lynn Adler
Companies concerned about the U.S. presidential election and the outlook for fiscal policy will likely hire temporary employees in the fourth quarter, an expectation that prompted a spike in staffing firm shares on Friday. Analysts say there was a 582,000 increase in the number of U.S. workers who want permanent jobs but are working part time, an indication that companies are hesitant to commit to hiring permanent workers. More than 137,000 temporary jobs have been added this year. As of midday Friday, staffing shares were mostly outperforming the rest of the stock market.