Number of Americans working temp jobs soars

The number of Americans working temporary jobs shot up 28 percent between 2010 and 2013, and the upward trend appears to be continuing this year, according to a new study.

The study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists found that 2.9 million Americans now work in temp positions across most sectors, including accounting, sales and nursing. CareerBuilder's Jennifer Grasz said the growth in such jobs shows that companies are being cautious as they try to bounce back from tough economic times.

"A lot of companies took very heavy losses, and they want more flexibility in their workforce," she said. "So they want to be able to quickly ramp up and ramp down their businesses, as needed, and temporary workers provide that flexibility."

In 2014, companies continued to add temporary staff. The largest growth in temp hiring was seen in human resources, where such positions grew by 4 percent in just the first few months of the year. Customer service and construction saw a 3 percent rise in the same time period.

Grasz said the surge in temp hiring could be a good sign for the labor market. "Temporary employment... can be an indicator of more full-time employment coming down the road, and so we do see it as a positive sign."

In a separate study, CareerBuilder (in partnership with Harris Poll) found that 42 percent of employers planned to hire temporary workers in 2014. Of that group, 43 percent said they planned to transition temporary employees into full-time, staff positions.