Temporary work has broadened since its inception to include a wide range of fields and industries. Clerical and office positions continue to be the largest segment of all temp jobs, comprising almost 40% of all temporary positions. These positions commonly include administrative assistants, general office clerks, filing clerks, receptionists, typists, word processing operators, data entry clerks, and cashiers.

The second largest category, with one-third of all placements, are those involving industrial work, such as shipping/receiving and assembly line work.

A third category, with just over 15% of all placements, consists of technical workers such as computer programmers, analysts, or engineers, and professional workers in the accounting, legal, sales and marketing, and management areas. This ranks among the fastest growing categories, with specially trained temps becoming an important resource for many firms.