As Energy Needs Rise, Demand for Temporary Engineers Grows

“Demand for temporary engineers is boosted by growth in the economy,” explained staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) Senior Research Analyst Amy Horvat, who specializes in engineering staffing. She noted that this is true because temporary engineering work touches nearly every part of the economy. 

Much of today’s engineering work, for example, is driven by energy, infrastructure, and industrial modernization. “Engineering is benefiting from increased spending on factories and data centers, where skills are needed to design and execute building projects—and engineers are also critical to operating the completed facilities,” Horvat said.

Tariffs early last year dampened manufacturing and construction. SIA reported that general uncertainty led many clients to pause spending and hiring. Conditions improved late in 2025, however. In its latest US Staffing Industry Forecast, SIA reported that 64 percent of respondents to its bimonthly Pulse survey reported revenue growth in December, and a net 33 percent reported increases in new orders. And that optimism has continued into 2026.

Contract work fits engineering

Mechanical engineering is well suited for contract hiring because projects tend to run in boom-and-bust cycles, with periods when a surge of resources is necessary. “Most companies will look at full-time employees as the core of their population, but whether it’s seasonal or to ramp up for a project, they often want to top off with contract workers,” explained Jorge Puente, vice president of Kelly’s engineering division, in “Contract Staffing Is Popular, but Has Its Downsides.”