The hiring outlook for 2014 is best described as cautiously optimistic. Citing the debt issues in Washington, a majority of employers are reporting a “wait and see” attitude toward expanding their staff. This is similar to the employee outlook from January 2013. The recently released CareerBuilder 2014 Hiring Forecast reports that:

While things look a bit tepid for full-time, permanent positions, things are a bit warmer for temporary and contract workers:

The rise in temporary worker hires may be a smart business move, insulating employers in a volatile economy. The U.S. has more temp workers than ever, a little over three million according to the US Labor Department. Nationally, 2% of the workforce is classified as temporary workers.

With 1 in 10 workers finding employment with an agency, now is the time for both employers and candidates to build a positive relationship with a staffing resource. If you have not worked with a staffing agency before I encourage you to read SNI’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer’s blog: The Value of Staffing Agency Recruiters. It provides some great information on how working with a staffing agency might be the best career move you’ll ever make.