The economy may be improving, but many employers are still looking for no-strings-attached relationships when it comes to hiring. The temporary services industry has added an average of 20,000 jobs in each of the last six months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Today’s temps are able to do a whole lot more than answer phones and make coffee. Specialty staffing firm On Assignment places skilled professionals in both temporary and permanent assignments, focusing on the hot technology, health care, and life sciences sectors.

Its acquisition of Apex Systems in 2012 made the agency the largest IT staffing company in the country. Revenues increased 108%—so much that the agency brought on 300 new “perm” staff of its own to handle the workload. --S.G.