Temp Workers Get the Ax

Temporary employment in the US has fallen in each of the last six months and in July was 2% down from the start of the year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The rate of temporary employment is often used as a bellwether for the overall employment picture because temporary workers are usually let go before full-time employees.

One major temporary employment agency is shutting a number of branch offices, reflecting a downturn. "People are scared right at the moment," said a temporary worker in the IT sector. "If people aren't looking for help, if they're just trying to  retrench and retrench  and retrench, it doesn't pay my bills."