Temp labour is one of the fastest growing industries in the US. Increasingly, temp workers are part of a business strategy to keep costs down and profits high. From mega-retailers to mum-and-pop shops, temps are hired to do some of the hardest and most dangerous jobs. While more and more of the American workforce comprises temporary workers, they’re largely hidden from public view. Many of these workers stay silent, often having their livelihoods threatened if they speak out. Wanting to get a glimpse of this invisible workforce, VICE News travelled across the country, scouring warehouses, temp agencies, and temp towns in search of the people who make our world of same-day delivery possible.
For more on the plight of the temp labourer in the US, read “A Modern Day Harvest of Shame” and “Permanently Temporary.”
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This story was developed in collaboration with reporting by Propublica.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: Timothée Chalamet seen at a Special Screening of A24's "Marty Supreme" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/A24 via Getty Images) -
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