New Data From Quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey

U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 3.13 million temporary and contract workers per week in the first quarter of 2015, up 5.5% from the same period in 2014, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association. Despite harsh winter weather, average weekly employment from January through March increased across a majority of industry sectors.

“Even with weak economic growth in the first quarter, demand for temporary and contract talent increased as businesses increased the size of their flexible and permanent workforces,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “The continued growth in staffing employment means more long-term opportunities for job seekers.”

Temporary and contract staffing sales totaled $28.08 billion in the first quarter of 2015, 5.4% higher than in the same period last year.

On a quarter-to-quarter basis, employment and sales typically peak in the fourth quarter, decline in the first quarter, and grow in subsequent quarters. That seasonal pattern held, with staffing employment contracting by 8.0% from the fourth quarter and staffing sales declining by 8.1%.

See the ASA website for more details about the quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey, sponsored by ASA research partner CareerBuilder.

For more information, visit the ASA Newsroom. You can also follow ASA on Twitter.

Interviews with ASA executives are available.

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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 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.