New Starts Continue Upward Trend
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, November 2020
Staffing employment for the week of Nov. 9–15 edged up 0.4% from the prior week, holding at a value of 88 despite the Veterans Day holiday, according to the ASA Staffing Index. November marks a ten-month high for staffing jobs, as the index reached a value of 88 for the first time since January. Staffing employment was down 9.0% from the same week last year, which also included Veterans Day.
New starts were up for the ninth consecutive week, increasing 8.0% on average, with nearly half (48%) of staffing companies reporting gains in new assignments week-to-week.
“Despite the holiday and political uncertainty, the recovery of temporary jobs continues with steady increases week-to-week and solid advancement in new assignments,” said Cynthia Davidson, ASA senior director of research.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average rose to a rounded value of 87. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending Nov. 15 was 9.9% lower than the same period last year.
This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the November monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Dec. 4.
The ASA Staffing Index is reported nine days after each workweek, making it a near real-time measure of staffing employment trends. ASA Staffing Starts are the number of temporary and contract employees placed in new assignments during the reporting week. ASA research shows that staffing employment has historically been a coincident economic indicator.
For more information, visit americanstaffing.net/index. Or follow ASA research on Twitter.
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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.
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