At the beginning of March, the LGC marketing team conducted a poll to get a better understanding of the impact to temporary workers and job opportunities during the pandemic. In order to get insight from both sides, we polled internal staffing managers as well as temporary workers. The internal poll was conducted from March 1 to 5, 2021 and the gig worker poll was conducted March 1 to 7, 2021.
The results offered a look into some of the experiences of essential temporary workers and painted a picture of what types of requests our managers were receiving during the pandemic. Here are the most compelling results the poll found:
Job Orders
When asked if the mix of job orders changed in 2020, 85.71% of LGC managers responded yes, saying the top drivers for new job orders in 2020 were:
- 35.71% New clients
- 28.57% COVID-19 protocol-related work
- 26.79% Regular long-term assignments
- 8.93% Returning clients
Because of COVID regulations and protocols, more janitorial staff were requested to work at hospitals and universities, as well as housekeepers at hotels and to support at hospitals. Temperature screeners are also in demand. We also saw an increase in requests for support at warehouses to support retailers. The 2020 job assignments reflect this mix of job orders with LGC managers reporting:
- 87.5% Janitorial/EVS related jobs
- 64.29% Hospitality
- 62.5% Food service
- 50% Warehouse
Stimulus Impact
Staffing managers responding said they have seen the number of job seekers drop while the needs of business clients have increased, making it hard to find a balance to fill jobs that are available. “There are waves where workers want to work and when no one wants to work. It’s stimulus and unemployment related,” one LGC manager reported in the poll echoing several other employee comments.
Temporary Workers Appreciative
Temporary workers who responded to the poll are mostly positive and appreciative for the opportunities citing the mix of jobs, length of shifts, and ease to book using the LGC Now app.
With 70.59% of gig workers saying they accepted COVID-related assignments, these workers responded that hospitality and food service, LGC’s core business, still topped the list of jobs they completed despite the various restrictions placed on hospitality venues. Of the 70%+ that accepted COVID-related assignments, they reported that they picked up shifts in the following industries:
- 59.75% Food services
- 59.44% Hospitality
- 23.84% Janitorial
- 18.58% Warehouse
- 14.86% Healthcare
One of the gig workers who provided additional feedback said, “Due to COVID a lot of things have changed, but we essential workers have stuck it out to make sure everything is safe.”
When will normal return?
The Pulse Poll asked both LGC managers and temporary workers when they think normal will return. Both said sometime in 2022 as their top response, but many agree that it could be as soon as the second or third quarter of 2021.
Staff
39.29% –– Sometime in 2022
30.36% –– 3Q 2021
12.5% –– 2Q 2021
17.86% –– 4Q 2021
0 –– 1Q 2021
LGC Temporary Workers
35.6% –– Sometime in 2022
22.29% –– 3Q 2021
21.05% –– 2Q 2021
13% –– 4Q 2021
8% –– 1Q 2021
This poll showed us a few things we already knew – like how COVID-19 drove orders and requests, but also brought to light some other points that we weren’t certain about, like how foodservice and hospitality jobs were still present amongst the shutdowns. One point this poll reinforced was how hardworking and reliable our internal and external teams are. Without them, LGC couldn’t provide support to our clients during the most challenging time in our recent history.
About the Poll
LGC conducted the Pulse Poll to determine perceptions among staff and gig worker clients related to the marketplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff poll was conducted from March 1 to 5, 2021, with a 50% response rate. The gig worker poll was conducted March 1 to 7, 2021, with a 25% response rate.
LGC staff and temporary workers live and work in: Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Boise, ID, Charleston, SC, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, Dayton, OH, Denver, CO, Des Moines, IA, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Kansas City, MO, Lexington, KY, Louisville, KY, Memphis, TN, Miami, FL, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA, Oklahoma City, OK, Orlando, FL, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA, Portland, OR, San Antonio, TX, Seattle, WA, St. Louis, MO, Tampa, FL, Virginia Beach, VA, Wichita, KS. For more information visit www.lgcassociates.com.