New Starts Down
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, December 2020
Staffing employment for the week of Dec. 7–13 edged up 0.4% from the prior week, according to the ASA Staffing Index. This week marks a 2020 high for staffing jobs, with the index reaching an unrounded value of 91 for the first time this year. This week also sees the narrowest year-to-year gap so far in 2020, with staffing jobs down just 5.6% from the same week last year.
New starts were down (-5.8% on average), with less than half (42%) of staffing companies reporting gains in new assignments week-to-week.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average also reached a high for this year, increasing to a rounded value of 89. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending Dec. 13 was 7.2% lower than the same period last year.
“While new assignments (an indication of job orders) are down, staffing employment continues to grow steadily—reaching a level not seen in the past year, which shows promise for the recovery of temporary jobs,” said Cynthia Davidson, ASA senior director of research.
This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the December monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Jan. 8.
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.
# # #
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.
New Starts Decrease ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, March 2021 Staffing employment for the week of March 8–14 was relatively unchanged (+0.05%) from the prior week, according to the ASA Staffing Index, yet there were 11.2% more staffing jobs compared with the same week in 2020. The ongoing effects of Covid-19 were mentioned as a… More ›
New Starts Down ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, January 2021 Staffing employment for the week of Jan. 11–17 was up 2.8% from the prior week, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Staffing jobs appear to have rebounded from the December holidays and are at a solid level thus far in 2021—nearly 1% above week two… More ›
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… More ›
New Starts Pick Up Pace ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, October 2020 Staffing employment for the week of Oct. 12–18 expanded 2.0% from the prior week, increasing to a rounded value of 85, according to the ASA Staffing Index. This week marks the largest week-to-week increase for the comparative week since the inception of the… More ›
New Starts Down Due to Labor Day ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, September 2020 Staffing employment for the week of Sept. 7–13 was relatively unchanged (-0.02%) from the prior week, holding at a value of 78, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Several survey respondents mentioned the Labor Day holiday and temporary-to-hire conversions as factors… More ›
New Assignments on the Rise ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, August 2020 Staffing jobs for the week of Aug. 10–16 edged up 0.7% from the prior week, holding at a value of 75, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Week-to-week staffing employment growth has been steady over the past three months, with the exception of… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, April 2020 Staffing jobs for the week of April 6–12 contracted 4.9% from the prior week, decreasing to a rounded value of 62, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Not surprisingly, survey respondents continue to mention the COVID-19 pandemic as the predominant factor for the decline. Year-to-year, staffing employment was… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, March 2020 Staffing employment for the week of March 9–15 eased 0.6% from the prior week, edging down to a value of 85, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Survey respondents cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the main factor contributing to the contraction. Temporary and contract staffing jobs were down… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, February 2020 Staffing employment for the week of Feb. 10–16 eased 0.34% from the prior week, decreasing for the fourth week in a row, according to the ASA Staffing Index. A few survey respondents cited temporary-to-hire conversions and the Presidents Day holiday as factors limiting growth. Staffing jobs were down… More ›
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, January 2019 Staffing jobs for the week of Jan. 6–12 surged 6.0% from the prior week, increasing to a value of 87, according to the ASA Staffing Index. Survey respondents cited the lingering effect of the holidays as a factor impeding further growth. Staffing employment was down 7.2% from the… More ›
