Survey Reports on Wages and Benefits for Temporary Help Workers — 1995-09-06

The pay of employees placed by the nation's temporary help services firms averaged $7.74 an hour in November 1994, according to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The survey, which covered more than 1.1 million temporary workers in establishments employing 20 workers or more, found that the earnings of individual workers varied widely, reflecting such factors as the skill level and occupation of the worker and local labor market conditions. (See tables 1 and A.) BLS found that many temporary help supply firms offer a package of employee benefits, including paid holidays, paid vacations, and health insurance, to workers who meet minimum qualifications. However, few temporary workers actually receive these benefits, either because they fail to meet the minimum qualification requirements or, as in the case of insurance plans, they elect not to participate.