As companies reduce more of their temporary workers, some economists fear the potential impact of a cooling labor market
Recent data has shown that US employers have been letting go of temporary workers at a faster rate than they were last year. According to some economists, this trend in workforce reduction may be an early warning sign of potential shifts to the labor market. Even though the labor market overall has remained historically strong, there has been an increase in corporate layoff announcements, which also serves as evidence of a cooling jobs market. However, demand for temporary workers has remained high in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and software development and many small businesses have been hiring workers who had been let go at other companies, suggesting more complexity with the US labor market's future.
See "As companies reduce more of their temporary workers, some economists fear the potential impact of a cooling labor market", Sarah Chaney Cambon , Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2023