Today at noon, in front of one of the largest staffing agencies in California, a blue- and white-collar workers alliance stood together to demand good, permanent jobs . The event focused on the release of a new report from Temp Worker Justice, California: The Temp Work State! The report identifies CA as a “leader” in temp and contract jobs, and the state as the profit center for the national temporary staffing industry.
When Californians say “The Industry,” they’re talking about film and TV production because it is so central to the state’s economy and culture. But, the new report from Temp Worker Justice makes the case that California is influenced by an even larger and more scandalous one: the temporary staffing industry. In California there are:
Nearly 3 times as many “temp” jobs every year as jobs in film & TV production
3% of every job in CA right now is a “temp” job, 50% higher than the national average
29% of the entire national staffing industry’s revenue comes from California, $35.1B in annual “sales” of workers’ labor
Download the full report below.
So, what’s wrong with temp work? Fundamentally, temp jobs are bad jobs. Temp jobs perpetuate poverty instead of providing a pathway out of it, and disproportionately impact women and people of color. By paying unequal wages for equal work, the temporary staffing industry is a key driver of the pay gap. In California, women lose $46B annually and people of color in CA lose $61B annually to unequal pay. Overall, temp and contract work is bad for workers, families, communities, and all of California.
Fortunately, workers are coming together in CA to demand better. Warehouse workers, nurses, tech industry workers, union members, and other blue- and white-collar workers are standing together because nearly every occupation is being degraded by the temp industry. Together, they are standing up for legislation in CA, SB1162 ‘Pay Transparency for Pay Equity,’ and for justice for all temp and contract workers. Solutions are within our reach!
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