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Staffing Employment Rebounds in Third Quarter

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4Q 2021 Revenue Expected to Grow 13%

U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.7 million temporary and contract workers per week in the third quarter of 2021, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association—up approximately 90,600 from the second quarter.

Staffing employment and sales have historically seen quarter-to-quarter gains following first quarter declines. While the second quarter of 2021 diverged from this trend, third-quarter data showed a return to growth—with staffing jobs increasing by 3.5% quarter-to-quarter and temporary and contract staffing sales growing 3.1%.

“U.S. businesses are turning to the staffing industry for help in filling millions of current job openings,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “The staffing industry is playing an increasingly important role in today’s labor market by providing talent sourcing expertise and workforce flexibility to employers in need of workers, and helping candidates find roles that are the right fit.”

On a year-to-year basis, staffing jobs rose 15.2% in the third quarter of 2021 from the same period in 2020—which was still early in the economy’s recovery from the initial hit of the Covid-19 pandemic. Temporary and contract staffing sales totaled $36.1 billion in the third quarter, an increase of 21.8% from the third quarter of 2020.

Staffing firms are optimistic about the fourth quarter of 2021, projecting their revenue to grow 13% year-to-year and anticipating an increase of 19% for the full year of 2021 compared with 2020.

To learn more about the quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey, visit americanstaffing.net/quarterly-survey, or follow ASA research on Twitter.

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About the American Staffing Association (ASA)

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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