Amid Economic Uncertainty, Indeed Flex Survey Finds Two in Three Workers Have Experienced Gaps in Employment

March 16th, 2023

Majority of recent graduates turn to temporary work to improve their skills (78%), achieve their goals (64%) and grow their professional networks (59%) 

AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 16, 2023 – A new survey by Indeed Flex, the online marketplace for flexible and temporary workers, finds more than two in three (68%) workers have experienced a gap in employment. The top reasons cited by workers for employment gaps were family responsibilities (39%), layoffs (25%) and relocation (16%). Three in five (60%) workers believe employment gaps have made it harder for them to secure full time employment.  

“Flexible work is a great solution to avoid, or fill, a resume gap at any employment stage, especially in today’s labor market,” said Stacey Lane, general manager of Indeed Flex U.S. “Flexible work helps you gain valuable experience, build meaningful connections, acquire transferable skills and even turn a short-term job into full-time employment.” 

Recent graduates turn to flex roles

The survey comes at a time of rising economic uncertainty and a tight labor market. Exploring how recent graduates are using flexible work to get ahead, the survey found they believe temporary work can help them improve their skills (78%), achieve their goals (64%) and grow their professional network (59%). 

Temporary and flexible work is available for all workers – not just recent grads. In fact, a recent study found that more employees leaving traditional employment are, in-part, starting to migrate to temporary, gig, or part-time roles.

Women are more affected than men by career interruptions tied to family 

With so many Americans – especially parents – having stepped back from their careers during the pandemic, family responsibilities (39%) were the top reason workers had gaps in employment. Of those who had taken time out of work for family care, more women (44%) were affected than men (31%).  

While women gained 188,000 jobs in January 2022, they are still short over 1.8 million jobs since February 2020, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Since February 2020, the economy has experienced a net loss of nearly 2.9 million jobs; women account for 63.3% of those losses.

Indeed Flex empowers job seekers to find reliable and flexible short- and long-term employment opportunities immediately through an easy-to-use mobile app. For employers, Indeed Flex offers instant access to a high-quality, vetted workforce and a suite of flexible staffing solutions.

 

About Indeed Flex

Formerly known as Syft, Indeed Flex is an innovative staffing platform providing job seekers with the fastest way to find temporary work that fits their lifestyles. 

The company is committed to empowering job seekers through ownership, control, and choice over where, when, and for whom they work. 

Through the convenience of our easy-to-use smartphone app, Indeed Flex connects job seekers with some of the brightest, market-leading brands in the UK and US, offering a broad choice of immediately available short and long-term temporary jobs across multiple sectors in locations that span both countries. For more information, visit www.indeedflex.com