Temporary Help Up 9.3%

“Job growth continued in temporary help services, which was up by 24,000” in April, according to Erica L. Groshen, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, commenting on the monthly jobs report released today. Seasonally adjusted employment was up 0.8% over March and 9.3% over April of last year. BLS has measured temporary help job growth at about 9% year-to-year since December, the strongest sustained pace since August 2012.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that staffing employment increased by 55,100 in April (up 2.0% from March). On a year-to-year basis, there were 9.7% more staffing employees in April than in the same month last year.

“As the economy ramps up from a weak first quarter, businesses are turning to staffing and recruiting companies to expand their workforces to meet increased demand,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “For job seekers, the improving economy is good news because it means that more staffing employees will bridge to permanent jobs from their temporary or contract assignments.”

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment increased by 288,000 jobs in April, BLS reported. Monthly job gains averaged 190,000 in the prior 12 months. The April unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 6.3%.

BLS also released preliminary March employment data for search and placement services: seasonally adjusted at 308,200, an increase of 1,800 (0.6%) from February.

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About the American Staffing Association

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state and regional affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.