New Data From Quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey

U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 3.10 million temporary and contract workers per week in the first quarter of 2018, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association—the greatest number for any first quarter since reporting for the ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey began in 1992.

Staffing employment increased 1.2% in the first quarter of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017, marking the largest year-to-year growth for any quarter since 2015.

“Staffing employment continues to grow as the demand for qualified talent increases, creating employment opportunities across most sectors,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “Job seekers are turning to staffing agencies in this robust hiring market to pinpoint short-term and long-term employment opportunities that best match their skills sets and career goals.”

Temporary and contract staffing sales totaled $32.86 billion in the first quarter of 2018, 2.5% higher than in the same quarter of 2017.

On a quarter-to-quarter basis, staffing 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 7.0% from the fourth quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018, and staffing sales declining by 5.9%.

To learn more about the quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey, visit americanstaffing.net/quarterly-survey. You can also follow ASA research 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.