Like a canary in a coal mine, the temporary worker sometimes serves as a front-line indicator of business slowdowns and recessions.
National statistics show many temps have already gotten the ax.
Some 83,000 temps filed for unemployment benefits in March, marking the nation s sixth month of job total declines for the industry, which has seen its rolls drop 273,000 during that 180-day period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But although some global giants with operations in the Inland Empire have announced cuts, local temps seem to have escaped the poison gases of economic hard times at least so far. The Associated Press on April 21 listed 33 national and international companies that have announced tens of thousands of job layoffs, from 2,000 at Electrolux to 26,000 at DaimlerChrysler. Cisco Systems Inc. s recent decision to scuttle 8,500 jobs includes some 2,500 temporary workers across the board, said Abby Smith, public relations manager. Davies didn t know how many local jobs would be affected, but he said the cuts will include contract and temporary workers.