Indianapolis Star (01/17/12)

Indianapolis businesses are temporarily increasing their staffs in preparation for the Feb. 5 Super Bowl and the resulting throngs of football fans coming to the city. Glen Greenawalt, executive vice president at LGC Hospitality Staffing, says his company is looking to hire 1,000 temporary employees for the weeks leading up to the event, mainly for the convention center and major downtown hotels. “We afford the opportunity for these (organizations) to take on more business than they normally could,” Greenawalt says. “They can double their production for a few days or a few weeks.”

The Super Bowl will add $213 million in direct wages and 5,000 jobs, including many temporary jobs. Putting new work experience on the résumés of long out-of-work residents could help them land full-time jobs later, says Michael Hicks, associate professor of economics at Ball State University, who notes that some hiring managers have opted to ignore applicants unemployed for a year or more. A temporary job could serve as a “gateway” to permanent employment, he says.