ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, May 2025
Dip in Index Contrasted With Steady Year-to-Year Levels
Staffing employment edged down during the week of May 12-18, with the ASA Staffing Index decreasing 0.4% to hold at a rounded value of 84. Staffing companies cited no primary factor that hindered further growth. Staffing jobs were 5.6% lower relative to the same period last year, equivalent to the year-to-year gap observed the previous week.
New starts also edged down in the 20th week of the year, decreasing 1.8% from the prior week. One-third of all staffing companies (34%) reported gains in new assignments week-to-week, below the average of 42% so far in 2025.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average increased from the previous week to hold at a rounded value of 84. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending May 18 was 5.5% below the same period in 2024.
“Despite minor turbulence, staffing employment has experienced a steady ascent throughout 2025,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA. “A modest rise in the four-week moving average coupled with steady weekly levels of employment suggest the industry is gradually regaining its footing despite a challenging economic landscape.”
This week will be used in the May monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on June 6.
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 (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.