Temp / agency work

TEMP /temp/

Informal Neutral

What it really means

Short-term work, often arranged through a recruitment agency. The agency is technically your employer and pays you, while you work at a client company. Good for quick income, and it sometimes leads to a permanent job ("temp to perm").

Chinese explanation

临时工作，通常通过招聘中介安排。名义上中介是你的雇主并给你发工资，你在客户公司干活。适合快速赚钱，有时能转正（temp to perm）。

Example conversation

A: How did you find warehouse work so fast? B: I signed up with a temp agency — they texted me a shift the next day.

A：你怎么这么快找到仓库工作的？ B：我在临时工中介登记了——第二天他们就发短信给我排班了。

What you could say back

“Which agency did you register with?”

Related phrases

Zero-hours contract Fixed-term contract Shift work

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

Go deeper

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake