Contract staffing was bright spot for the recruiting industry once again in 2011.  As the economy tried to forge ahead, it appeared that many companies shifted their traditional direct-hire placements to contract placements.  

As a result, Top Echelon Contracting experienced a 22% increase last year in the number of commercial contractors placed on long-term contract assignments in the technical, professional, and healthcare arenas.   This represents 17 years of growth since 1992. 

We tracked our contract placements throughout the United States in 2011 and determined the following hottest industries for contract staffing:

• 32% - Healthcare (Professionals: PT, OT, SLP, Pharm, Nurses, but not Doctors)
• 18% - Engineering and Manufacturing (Professional and Technical)
• 13% - Information Technology (All areas, levels, platforms, etc.)
• 16% - Business Professionals and Support Staff (All industries)
• 11% - Finance and Accounting (All levels, except CFOs)
• 8% - HR/Legal/Recruiting (All levels, except Attorneys)
• 2% - Miscellaneous

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.