Posted on 12/20/2008 1:52:01 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
MANPOWER is a global staffing agency with about 4,500 offices in 80 countries and territories that place workers into permanent, temporary and contract jobs. In 2007, the company had $21 billion in revenue worldwide. Although Manpower is based in Milwaukee, where it was established 60 years ago, it derives 67 percent of its revenue from Europe. Jeffrey A. Joerres became the company’s chief executive in 1999 and chairman in 2001. In a recent interview, he spoke about the global employment outlook for a wide range of industries.
Q. What are your tips for job seekers in what is shaping up to be a bleak employment market?
A. It will be harder to find a job now than it was a year ago. So you should have a sense of urgency, but not desperation. There are jobs available, but they may not be the same kinds of jobs. And earnings and wages are being reset. You may have to make tough decisions, like “Do I compromise on my salary, or do I try to build my skills to go into another area of work?” It’s easy to say that you should invest in your skills, but many people need to pay the rent. That’s where I’m hoping we can help. We can get them contract work to bring in some income while they are looking for a full-time job.
Q. President-elect Barack Obama recently announced his intention to create a large-scale public works program. What impact could a program like this have on employment next year?
A. When you invest in infrastructure, you’re employing the skilled trades, electricians and masons. Those jobs are hard to fill. We don’t have enough people in the skilled trades.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Total vulture company.
Wow! An executive that actually gets paid according to how well the company performs.
Take it from one who knows. They pay peanuts compared to other agencies.
I work for them. I got laid off by IBM last year and at 58 years old was having trouble getting work. They are the only ones with whom I got an interview. Turns out I went to work in the same place I got fired from, as a Manpower contractor at 1/3 the pay. IBM’s happy cause they got rid of an expensive employee, Manpower’s happy because they got 35 years of IT experience for basically nothing and I’m wondering how I’m going to pay my property taxes this year.
It’s a new America.
They might pay peanuts, but how much do they bill?
The really sleazy consulting companies used to hire college grads for $50K a year, and bill for them at $800 a day.
Yea I know! One Christmas I worked for them in the Early 1970’s. I got to move furniture, unload a freight car of bauxite for a steel mill with ramps and wheel barrow! Got about $7.00 an hour with Manpower getting half! But what the heck I was young and it was hard work but needed the money! It helped get Christmas presents for my kids!
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you were good at saving for retirement. These temp agencies are not such a sweet deal.
You can thank Congress and the IRS for the rise of these temp agencies. About 20 years ago, it was easy to temp on your own. Obviously the overall employment situation was different. However, it was easy to approach a company about working as a contractor.
Today it is very difficult to work as a contractor on your own. Congress and other busy bodies have determined that you must be classified as an employee unless you meet some stringent conditions. Some of this labor law change was due to contractors after the fact claiming to be employees when a company did well. In the name of protection and tax collection, Congress restricts the ability of an employer and contractor to arrange work contracts.
In these difficult times, contractor status is much better than no work. Congress will not even entertain the idea that loosening labor laws would provide more work for white collar professionals.
Body shop that purports to match skills and needs but instead throws it up against the wall and hopes for the best.
Their flawed, unscientific ‘hiring surveys’ are trumpeted in the press (free advertising) every so often.
Temp agencies are basically job pimps, they are pure scum.
A great thread I saved:
“ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A JOB?”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2136635/posts
Why do you say that? They perform a service — finding jobs for job seekers and candidates for hirers. Soeone has to do it — if you’re looking for a candidate, it’s pretty darn difficult to find the right person. Ditto for someone looking out for a job.
ok, after reading the posts here, let me clarify — I mean only the function of finding employees for companies and companies for candidates, NOT their temping business.
I didn’t know they were still around. I worked for them a bit in the late 1970s. I was a college student, and they had jobs that fit my hours and paid fairly well at that time.
Great for a college student, probably not so good for someone who needs a “real job” that includes benefits, etc.
Forget benefits with these people. It’s week to week and stop gap. I had a good experience with Kelly when we were hurting earlier in the decade. I got ten bucks an hour for three weeks and some overtime. It got me on to the next job.
What conscience does their employee rectuitment section need? They supply employees to employers and vice versa
I guess the kind of conscience that would supply their clients with quality personnel instead of shoving off people to fill quotas. durrr.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.