The Burrill Report (May 24, 2010): Transforming the Life Sciences Labor Force (.MP3,12.04 Mb)
As the economy emerges from what’s been described as the longest and deepest downturn since the Great Depression, work is returning to the life sciences, just not jobs in the conventional sense. Instead, some say companies are balancing their needs to bolster their ranks while controlling labor costs through the use of contingent workers. While such efforts are not new, some argue that the life sciences industry is starting to tap into a growing pool of highly skilled workers. They say that we are witnessing the start of a major transformation in the way the industry works with specialized teams of workers assembled for specific projects and then disbanded. We spoke to Alan Edwards, science product leader for the Americas Products Group of temporary staffing firm Kelly Services, about this trend, how the workforce is changing, and why life sciences companies may be well suited for working in this way.