(This passage was adapted from an article written
in 1992.)
Line
(5)
(10)
(15)
(20)
(25)
(30)
Some observers have attributed the dramatic
growth in temporary employment that occurred in
the United States during the 1980s to increased
participation in the workforce by certain groups,
such as first-time or reentering workers, who
supposedly prefer such arrangements. However,
statistical analyses reveal that demographic
changes in the workforce did not correlate with
variations in the total number of temporary
workers. Instead, these analyses suggest that
factors affecting employers account for the rise
in temporary employment. One factor is product
demand: temporary employment is favored by
employers who are adapting to fluctuating demand
for products while at the same time seeking
to reduce overall labor costs. Another factor
is labor's reduced bargaining strength, which
allows employers more control over the terms of
employment. Given the analyses, which reveal that
growth in temporary employment now far exceeds
the level explainable by recent workforce entry
rates of groups said to prefer temporary jobs, firms
should be discouraged from creating excessive
numbers of temporary positions. Government
policymakers should consider mandating benefit
coverage for temporary employees, promoting pay
equity between temporary and permanent workers,
assisting labor unions in organizing temporary
workers, and encouraging firms to assign temporary
jobs primarily to employees who explicitly indicate
that preference.

54. The first sentence in the passage suggests that the
"observers" mentioned in line 1 would be most likely to
predict which of the following?
(A) That the number of new temporary positions
would decline as fewer workers who preferred
temporary employment entered the workforce
(B) That the total number of temporary positions
would increase as fewer workers were able to
find permanent positions
(C) That employers would have less control over the
terms of workers' employment as workers
increased their bargaining strength
(D) That more workers would be hired for temporary
positions as product demand increased
(E) That the number of workers taking temporary
positions would increase as more workers in any
given demographic group entered the workforce

Please justify the OA (A)

Thanks in advance.