Staffing Employment Essentially Unchanged in 2016

New Data From Quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey

U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 3.21 million temporary and contract workers per week in 2016, essentially unchanged (-0.3%) from 2015, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association. This was the second-highest number of staffing employees for any year since the inception of the ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey in 1992.

During all of 2016, staffing companies hired a total of 14.49 million temporary and contract employees. The average length of employment with a staffing company was 11.5 weeks in 2016, slightly longer than the tenure of 10.8 weeks in 2015.

“The industry is extremely proud of the role it played in 2016 in providing employment and enhancing the careers of millions of American workers,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “People of all ages and at all stages of their lives are turning to staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions firms for short-term and long-term opportunities that help them achieve their personal and career goals.”

In the fourth quarter of 2016, average weekly staffing employment totaled 3.34 million—3.0% more than in the third quarter and down 0.5% from the fourth quarter of 2015, which contained the second-highest number for any quarter since the inception of the survey.

Annual temporary and contract staffing sales in 2016 totaled $128.53 billion, up 1.7% from 2015. Fourth quarter sales grew to $33.40 billion—3.5% more than in the third quarter of 2016 and 1.1% more than in the fourth quarter of 2015.

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

# # #

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.