Survey shows young adults likely to use staffing services

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Aug 7, 2003 by Journal Record staff

Better-educated young adults are the group most likely to use a staffing agency in Oklahoma, according to a new survey.

Statewide, 38 percent of the 25- to 34-year-old age group utilizes the services of staffing firms, followed by 27 percent of those aged 35-49, according to a telephone survey of 300 Oklahoma adults conducted in June by WRS Research of McLean, Va.

Although only 17 percent of Oklahomans have ever used a staffing firm either to find a job or a job applicant, "the fact that so many young people are doing so to find work reflects the growing influence of our industry to the economy," said Bob Funk, founder of Express Personnel Services, which commissioned the survey. "As the economy improves and employers increase their hiring, staffing firms will have the allegiance of the most aggressive, and best-educated group of job candidates."

Sustained employment growth in the staffing industry suggests that the U.S. economy may be gaining strength, according to Richard Wahlquist, president and CEO of the American Staffing Association.

However, the perception of the Oklahoma survey respondents seems to reflect a negative attitude regarding the Oklahoma economy. Fifty-three percent of those polled said the state's economy is on "the wrong track" compared with 28 percent who said it was moving in the right direction. About 20 percent said they were "unsure" or refused to comment on the economy.

However, supporting Wahlquist's claim is the fact that the number of temporary- help workers rose for the second consecutive month. U.S. Labor Department statistics cite June as the third consecutive month of growth, with an increase of over 600,000 workers, to 2.2 million temporary workers per day in June.

The survey also disclosed Express "is the most widely recognized staffing agency in the state of Oklahoma," followed by Kelly and Manpower.