Part-time temp jobs offer businesses, retailers and manufacturers an opportunity to accomplish seasonal or occasional tasks without adding permanent, full-time staff to the payroll. The holidays often spur the need for many part-time temp jobs, such as candy stockers at Halloween and retail help during Christmas. Annual events, such as audits, and special events, such as concerts, can also prompt the need for some temporary, part-time help.
Holiday periods can cause a sudden spike in sales at certain stores, increasing the need for a greater number of workers for a short period of time. When candy sales rise dramatically in the days immediately preceding certain holidays, such as Halloween, candy distributors will often offer part-time temp jobs stocking product at local stores. The same is true of some florists and flower shops, many of which add temp staff to help meet the increase in orders for Valentine's Day.
Some seasonal retailers, such as farmers' markets, fruit stands and Christmas stores, are only staffed at particular times of the year, creating a need for temp workers. Large venues, such as ballparks and theaters, typically offer part-time temp jobs for special events. These part-time workers can provide the manpower for ticket selling, security and concessions. Many types of part-time summer employment positions are also available, such as being a lifeguard at a beach, providing maintenance at a public park or being a docent at a historic tourist attraction.
Taking inventory of stock, supplies and merchandise is typically an annual task. Workers filling part-time temp jobs are often assigned to inventory duties during a company's off-hours, such as when the office or store is closed. By using part-time rather than full-time workers, a business does not have to experience downtime to provide lunch breaks, and workers are typically switched out before fatigue sets in. Some types of part-time temp jobs are reoccurring year after year, such as grooming golf courses, staffing a festival or harvesting crops.
Many clerical and office positions are offered on a part-time, temporary basis. A company conducting an annual audit or transitioning from one computer system to another may need part-time workers for a short time. Also, part-time temp workers are often used to fill in for workers who are out on extended sick or maternity leave. Unusual circumstances and situations can also prompt the creation of part-time temp jobs. For example, a new library opening on a college campus may use temp workers to manually transport stacks of books from the shelves of the old library to the shelves of the new library.