Specialized people for a defined term, at a rate that holds.
Launches, retooling, shutdowns, containment projects and program work with an end date you already know. Contract employees are hired, paid and insured by C3 at a fixed hourly bill rate for the length of the term, so the budget you approved is the budget you pay. Convert anyone to direct hire whenever you like. Written quote within 24 hours.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, motor vehicles and parts (NAICS 3361, 3362 and 3363), seasonally adjusted: average weekly hours of production workers 45.6 in August 2026 (preliminary) against 42.6 in August 2025; average weekly overtime 6.5 hours in July 2026 (preliminary). BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, Table 1, July 2026, released September 1, 2026, manufacturing openings 580,000 against 428,000 in July 2025. Quote turnaround is C3 Workforce policy.
The work has an end date. The headcount should too.
Plants are covering demand with overtime because permanent headcount is hard to add and harder to remove. Contract staffing puts skilled people on the floor for exactly as long as the work lasts. Our article on plants running overtime instead of hiring has the data.
Launches and program ramps
A new program needs launch engineers, quality technicians and extra production leads for the first six to twelve months, then settles to steady state. Staff the ramp on contract and keep the permanent org chart the size the steady state needs.
Retooling, shutdowns and installs
Model year changeover, a new line install, an annual maintenance shutdown. You need millwrights, electricians, controls technicians and inspectors for a defined window, with a budget your controller can hold to.
Programs across state lines
A supplier supporting plants in three states, a customer requiring source inspection at your site and theirs, a data center buildout that moves from one campus to the next. One agreement, one bill rate, one employer of record wherever the work is.
The technical seats a program needs, for the length of the program.
Contract works best for skilled and technical roles where the person expects a defined engagement and a premium rate. If a role would be better served by temporary or direct placement, we will say so.
Engineering and technical
Skilled trades
Quality and containment
One fixed bill rate for the term. Everything an employer owes is inside it.
C3 Workforce is the employer of record
Contract employees are hired, paid and insured by C3 for the length of the engagement. Your approved budget is the rate times the hours, and the rate does not move until the term ends. When the project ends, so does the assignment. The contract employee stays on our payroll, so the separation and any unemployment claim run through C3, not through you.
- Recruiting, interviews and skill evaluation for the specific program
- Background and drug screening to your requirements
- E Verify and I 9 employment eligibility verification
- Payroll processing, W 2s and payroll taxes: FICA, FUTA and SUTA
- Workers compensation coverage in every state where the work happens
- Unemployment claims administration
- Benefits administration for the contract employee
- ACA tracking and 1095 C reporting
- Multi state assignments under one agreement
- Conversion to direct hire at any point in the term
Four steps from a project plan to people on site.
The scope, the term and the rate are all in writing before the first contractor starts.
Scope
You walk us through the program: the roles, the skills, the sites, the start date and the expected end date. We ask about the equipment, the customer requirements and the shift pattern. Written quote with a fixed bill rate per role within 24 hours.
Recruit
Contract talent is a different pool from temporary labor. We reach people who work program to program and expect a defined term. Every candidate is interviewed by a recruiter who understands the work and knows what your customer will audit.
Deploy
Onboarding, payroll setup, safety orientation, travel and site logistics are handled before day one, in every state the program touches. Your program manager meets people who already know the scope and the schedule.
Manage and convert
A recruiter stays on the account through the term, handles extensions and swaps, and, when you want to keep someone, moves them to your payroll. We respond within one business day.
Straight answers.
How is contract staffing different from temporary staffing?
Both run on C3 payroll with one hourly bill rate. Temporary staffing flexes with your volume and can end any day; the rate is quoted per role and revisited as the market moves. Contract staffing has a defined start and end, a scope, and a bill rate that is fixed for the term. It is built for skilled and technical people who expect a program engagement rather than an open ended assignment. If you are not sure which fits, read about temporary staffing or call and we will recommend one.
What happens if the project runs long or ends early?
Extensions are a phone call, and the rate for an extension is set in the original agreement so there is no renegotiation under pressure. If a program ends early, the assignment ends with it. The contract employee is ours, so the separation and any unemployment claim are handled on our side. We tell you what the agreement says about notice before you sign it.
Can we hire a contractor permanently?
Yes, at any point in the term. Many clients use a contract engagement as a long working interview for a technical seat. The conversion terms are part of the written quote, so you know them before anyone starts. Ask us and we will lay it out before you place an order.
Do contract employees get benefits, and who pays for them?
C3 employs the contractor and administers their benefits. The cost is inside the bill rate, not a separate line on your invoice. Ask your salesperson to walk through what is offered when we quote your program.
Can you staff a program that spans several states?
Yes. One agreement covers assignments in multiple states, with payroll taxes, workers compensation and employment eligibility verification handled correctly in each. Travel and per diem arrangements, where the program needs them, are written into the quote up front.
Not sure contract is the right model?
Tell us the program. We’ll send the plan.
Most quotes go out within one business day. No pitch, no pressure. Just a fixed rate, a start date and the scope in writing.