As the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that U.S. employers added more than 227,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate remained steady at 8.3 percent, the U.S. labor market could be gaining steam, according to staffing company Express Employment Professionals.
The average number of hours worked per week also improved 34.5 in December 2011, according to the Economic Policy Institute, which is up from 33.8 hours in March 2009 and near the prerecession average of 34.6 hours.
"February's positive jobs report shows that employers are increasingly confident that the economic recovery is gaining traction," says Robert A. Funk, Express Employment Professionals CEO and chairman of the board. "Because businesses have already restored the hours of existing workers, they are more likely to add new workers to meet additional demand. However, many employers remain wary of adding full-time headcount and are turning to temporary staffing companies to give them the option of growth without the risk and expense."
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