There’s growing evidence that small businesses are becoming more strategic,savvy, and cautious when it comes to staffing their organizations. According to a recent survey by SurePayroll, 22% of small businesses plan to hire independent contractors (or part-time staffers) instead of full-time employees.

The survey is summarized in an article in Staffing Industry Analysts.

Next time you’re driving down the road next to an office park know that one of every five of those businesses are looking to bring in a contractor or part-time employee rather than hire a full-timer.

For more insight about this trend plus data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics check out this post from June, HR’s Growing Toolbox for Executive Staffing, and a more recent post from August, Fortune and BusinessWeek Report on Expanding Use of Interim Executives.