Some observers have attributed the dramatic
growth in temporary employment that occurred in
the United States during the 1980s to increased
participation in the workforce by certain groups,
such as first-time or reentering workers, who
supposedly prefer such arrangements. However,
statistical analyses reveal that demographic
changes in the workforce did not correlate with
variations in the total number of temporary
workers. Instead, these analyses suggest that
factors affecting employers account for the rise
in temporary employment. One factor is product
demand: temporary employment is favored by
employers who are adapting to fluctuating demand
for products while at the same time seeking
to reduce overall labor costs. Another factor
is labor's reduced bargaining strength, which
allows employers more control over the terms of
employment. Given the analyses, which reveal that
growth in temporary employment now far exceeds
the level explainable by recent workforce entry
rates of groups said to prefer temporary jobs, firms
should be discouraged from creating excessive
numbers of temporary positions. Government
policymakers should consider mandating benefit
coverage for temporary employees, promoting pay
equity between temporary and permanent workers,
assisting labor unions in organizing temporary
workers, and encouraging firms to assign temporary
jobs primarily to employees who explicitly indicate
that preference.
45. The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) present the results of statistical analyses and
propose further studies
(B) explain a recent development and predict its
eventual consequences
(C) identify the reasons for a trend and recommend
measures to address it
(D) outline several theories about a phenomenon
and advocate one of them
(E) describe the potential consequences of
implementing a new policy and argue in favor of
that policy
46. According to the passage, which of the following is
true of the "factors affecting employers" that are
mentioned in lines 10–19?
(A) Most experts cite them as having initiated the
growth in temporary employment that occurred
during the 1980s.
(B) They may account for the increase in the total
number of temporary workers during the 1980s.
(C) They were less important than demographic
change in accounting for the increase of
temporary employment during the 1980s.
(D) They included a sharp increase in the cost of
labor during the 1980s.
(E) They are more difficult to account for than are
other factors involved in the growth of
temporary employment during the 1980s.
47. The passage suggests which of the following about
the use of temporary employment by firms during
the 1980s?
(A) It enabled firms to deal with fluctuating product
demand far more efficiently than they did before
the 1980s.
(B) It increased as a result of increased participation
in the workforce by certain demographic groups.
(C) It was discouraged by government-mandated
policies.
(D) It was a response to preferences indicated by
certain employees for more flexible working
arrangements.
(E) It increased partly as a result of workers' reduced
ability to control the terms of their employment.
48. The passage suggests which of the following about the
workers who took temporary jobs during the 1980s?
(A) Their jobs frequently led to permanent positions
within firms.
(B) They constituted a less demographically diverse
group than has been suggested.
(C) They were occasionally involved in actions
organized by labor unions.
(D) Their pay declined during the decade in
comparison with the pay of permanent
employees.
(E) They did not necessarily prefer temporary
employment to permanent employment.
49. The first sentence in the passage suggests that the
"observers" mentioned in line 1 would be most likely to
predict which of the following?
(A) That the number of new temporary positions
would decline as fewer workers who preferred
temporary employment entered the workforce
(B) That the total number of temporary positions
would increase as fewer workers were able to
find permanent positions
(C) That employers would have less control over the
terms of workers' employment as workers
increased their bargaining strength
(D) That more workers would be hired for temporary
positions as product demand increased
(E) That the number of workers taking temporary
positions would increase as more workers in any
given demographic group entered the workforce
50. In the context of the passage, the word "excessive"
(line 23) most closely corresponds to which of the
following phrases?
(A) Far more than can be justified by worker
preferences
(B) Far more than can be explained by fluctuations
in product demand
(C) Far more than can be beneficial to the success
of the firms themselves
(D) Far more than can be accounted for by an
expanding national economy
(E) Far more than can be attributed to increases in
the total number of people in the workforce
51. The passage mentions each of the following as an
appropriate kind of governmental action EXCEPT
(A) getting firms to offer temporary employment
primarily to a certain group of people
(B) encouraging equitable pay for temporary and
permanent employees
(C) facilitating the organization of temporary
workers by labor unions
(D) establishing guidelines on the proportion of
temporary workers that firms should employ
(E) ensuring that temporary workers obtain benefits
from their employers
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