The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American busines

Question

The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American business is turning to interim staffing to cover a greater number of their employment vacancies. Once interim (or temporary) staffing was reserved for the lower-level positions requiring little training, such as an envelope stuffer, receptionist, day laborer, and the like. Today, however, a more highly trained professional is being sought for interim work. It is not uncommon to find computer programmers, writers, marketing professionals, CPAs, and even chief financial officers working in an interim capacity. The reasons for these changes in staffing norms are generated at both the employer and employee levels. Employers are pushing the drive toward interim staffing in order to maintain maximum flexibility.

Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis. Additionally, employers save money using interim staffers, as they are not required to provide health insurance to temporary workers and they are not obligated to pay severance when the job terminates. Employees, too, are pushing the trend toward interim staffing. Increasingly, professionals are seeking more flexibility in their work schedules--often in response to family obligations. No longer does the permanent 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule work for everyone. By working interim, employees can work when it fits their schedules. However, interim staffing is not for everyone. Organizations whose workflow requires continuity of personnel may find interim staffing an impediment to productivity. Likewise, employees who need a steady source of income or who require the health insurance and other benefits provided by permanent employers may find the unpredictability in interim work problematic.     1 
 1. According to the passage, the main benefit to employers of interim staffing is

A. cost savings from not having to provide benefits.
B. constant influx of new ideas.
C. flexibility in hiring.
D. flexibility in scheduling.
E. a more highly trained interim employee pool.

2 
 2. The main purpose of this passage is to

A. convince employers to use interim staffing.
B. explainsthe difference between temporary and permanent staffing.
C. explainswhich companies benefit most from interim staffing.
D. explain why interim staffing has become popular with employers and employees.
E. convince employers that interim employees also deserve health benefits.

3 
 3. Given the author's purpose, which of the following would most enhance this passage?

A. an interview with an interim employee
B. statistics illustrating the increased emphasis on interim staffing
C. a discussion of whether interim employees deserve benefits
D. examples of positions that are not good for interim employees
E. statistics illustrating how much a company can save by using interim employees

4 
 4. From the passage, it can be inferred that

A. interim employment is appealing to many segments of the labor market.
B. interim employees are often less qualified than permanent employees.
C. because of cost savings, interim employees will eventually overtake most permanent positions.
D. because of scheduling flexibility, more permanent employees will opt for interim positions.
E. interim staffing is itself a temporary solution to fluctuations in the labor market.

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 105 Date: 14-Mar-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Learning Express

vijayram2496 · Answer

1. According to the passage, the main benefit to employers of interim staffing is

A. cost savings from not having to provide benefits.
B. constant influx of new ideas.
C. flexibility in hiring.
D. flexibility in scheduling.
E. a more highly trained interim employee pool.

This passage is about Interim Staffing trend and why employers and employees are adopting this trend.
My Answer is  C 
I would see from the lines  Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis.  So, the main idea behind Interim Staffing could be the flexibility in hiring and additionally it includes leverage from providing benefits.

2. The main purpose of this passage is to

A. convince employers to use interim staffing.
B. explains the difference between temporary and permanent staffing.
C. explains which companies benefit most from interim staffing.
D. explain why interim staffing has become popular with employers and employees.
E. convince employers that interim employees also deserve health benefits.

My Answer is  D 
Author here doesn't advice or convince employers or employees about IS. He do explain the difference between temporary and permanent staffing but that is not main point .So all points together .It is D that explains the heart of passage.

3. Given the author's purpose, which of the following would most enhance this passage?

A. an interview with an interim employee
B. statistics illustrating the increased emphasis on interim staffing
C. a discussion of whether interim employees deserve benefits
D. examples of positions that are not good for interim employees
E. statistics illustrating how much a company can save by using interim employees

My Answer is  B 
As author mentioned theoretical analysis on IS ,if he is added with some evidence how IS is fast-growing ,it would be an asset and advantage to the passage. So in this case stats regarding the use of IS could be of great help.

4. From the passage, it can be inferred that

A. interim employment is appealing to many segments of the labor market.
B. interim employees are often less qualified than permanent employees.
C. because of cost savings, interim employees will eventually overtake most permanent positions.
D. because of scheduling flexibility, more permanent employees will opt for interim positions.
E. interim staffing is itself a temporary solution to fluctuations in the labor market.

My Answer is  A 
From the passage it is hard to come to conclusions based on author's pros and cons on IS.
But from first para ,it can clearly be understood that IS is into many labor markets and that is clearly mentioned in A.

Anandanwar · Answer

Hello,

I have a few queries.
Q1:
Passage says: Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis.

Hiring employees on need basis is by definition in interim employees. The benefit is what comes because of "option to hire employees on an as-needed basis".
So the benefit should be "Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles"

With this logic D seemed correct to me.

Q3:
The purpose of the passage is to explain why interim staffing has become popular.

Choice E would show more reason for interim staffing.
Choice B would just show more interim staffing is being adopted.
By this since E does more towards the purpose of the passage, it seemed E is better.

Could you please explain the fault in my reasoning?

Thanks and Regards.
Ankit

egmat · Answer

Anandanwar

Great questions! Your analytical thinking is solid, but there are some subtle distinctions in RC interpretation that are causing the confusion. Let me address each query:

Question 1: Main Benefit to Employers 
 
Your reasoning has a logical flow, but you're making the scope of "flexibility" too narrow. Let's look at the passage structure:

Key Evidence: 
 
The phrase "in order to" signals the  primary purpose/main benefit . The passage then elaborates on what this flexibility means:
 
 "Companies can be more innovative and flexible in their planning cycles  if they have the option to hire employees on an as-needed basis "

Notice the conditional structure: The flexibility in planning cycles is a  result  of having hiring flexibility, not the main benefit itself. The  main benefit is the flexibility to hire as needed  (Choice C), which then  enables  flexible planning cycles.

Additionally, the passage mentions cost savings with "Additionally, employers save money..." The word "Additionally" indicates this is a  secondary benefit , not the main one.

Why D is incorrect:  "Flexibility in scheduling" refers to work schedules (when employees work), which the passage attributes as a benefit to  employees , not employers.

Question 3: Author's Purpose 
 
Your understanding of the purpose needs refinement:

Author's Purpose:  To  describe and explain  a labor market trend (the shift toward interim staffing).

The passage is  informational/descriptive , not  argumentative . The author isn't trying to convince us that interim staffing is good; they're explaining that it's happening and why.

Choice B vs. E: 
 
  Choice B  (statistics on increased emphasis): Would provide  concrete evidence that the trend exists  - directly supporting the main claim 
  Choice E  (statistics on cost savings): Would only elaborate on  one specific benefit  already mentioned

Think of it this way: If you're writing about a trend, what's more important - proving the trend exists (B) or adding details about one aspect already covered (E)?
 
Key RC Strategy:  Always distinguish between:
 
  Primary vs. Secondary points  (Q1 issue) 
  Describing vs. Advocating  (Q3 issue)

When passages use structure words like "in order to" or "Additionally," pay attention - they're signaling the hierarchy of information!

Hope this clarifies the reasoning! Let me know if you need further explanation on either point.

The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American busines

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

The labor market is changing yet again. Increasingly, American busines

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards