Andrea Castillo of Dallas spent a recent morning looking at job postings at the WorkforceSolutions Greater Dallas office along Interstate 35.

"I just started looking last week," said Ms. Castillo, who wants to re-enter the workforce after quitting her last job nine months ago to take care of her terminally ill mother. She hopes her medical billing experience helps her land a job in the booming health-care field.

She was one of the 159,558 Dallas-Fort Worth residents counted as unemployed in July.

Many people are turning to staffing agencies for help finding work in a crowded market where companies can be picky.

It's taking longer to land a job than it did a year ago, said Ryan Kurtz, area director for Ajilon Professional Staffing in Addison. Job postings there and at its sister firm, Adecco, doubled from April to June compared with the previous three months, he said.

Employers also are seeking help to find skilled workers, such as finance and project managers. Dallas-based Delta Companies' recruiting fees have risen 28 percent in the past two years after being flat for a decade, said chief marketing officer Marc Bowles.

Lately, companies are hiring more temporary workers, particularly in customer service, manufacturing and warehouse, as companies face economic uncertainty.

Companies tend to hire temps to control costs – salary, benefits, training and retention – if they're nervous about the economy, said John Reed, senior vice president for Robert Half International in Dallas.