A new study reveals a troubling employment pattern in Florida, where individuals with criminal records are frequently funneled into temporary staffing jobs that offer lower pay, no benefits, and little job security, effectively trapping them in a precarious economic cycle.
The research indicates that for a significant majority of people returning from prison in southern Florida, temporary agencies become the primary, and often only, avenue for employment. These positions, while providing the immediate paycheck often mandated by parole, come at a steep cost. Workers report feeling “disposable,” performing the same tasks as permanent employees but for substantially less compensation and without the safety net of health insurance or paid leave.
The financial disparity is stark. According to the report, temporary workers in construction earn nearly $6.50 less per hour than their directly-hired counterparts, while those in warehouse roles make over $3 less per hour. This translates to annual income losses exceeding $13,000 and $7,000, respectively.
The system creates a dual challenge. Companies benefit from a flexible, low-cost workforce, while the staffing agencies themselves operate with minimal oversight. The report notes a high rate of turnover among these agencies, which advocates suggest may be a tactic to avoid increased insurance premiums that result from worker complaints or injuries.
Personal accounts underscore the human impact. One man, formerly a retail manager, described being unable to re-enter his previous field post-incarceration. With court fees looming and probation requiring employment verification, he turned to temporary labor pools for construction work—a field entirely new to him. Another worker recounted remaining a “temp” for nine years at the same company, performing identical duties to permanent staff but never being offered a stable position or benefits.
The findings call for systemic reforms, including stricter regulation of the temporary staffing industry, enhanced worker protections, and expanded access to training programs and union jobs that could provide a pathway to sustainable employment for the hundreds of thousands of Floridians navigating life after a criminal record.