Staffing Employment 4.8% Higher Compared to Same Week in 2025
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report: May 2026
Staffing Index Monthly Summary Report
May 11–17
Staffing employment edged down during the week of May 11–17, with the ASA Staffing Index decreasing by 0.2% to a value of 88. Staffing companies cited no one particular factor that hindered growth. Staffing jobs were 4.8% higher compared with the same period last year, up from 4.6% recorded the previous week.
New starts, however, increased in the 20th week of the year, up 6.9% from the prior week. More than half of staffing companies (54%) reported gains in new assignments week to week, above the average of 41% so far in 2026.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average improved from the previous week to hold at a rounded value of 88. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending May 17 was 4.6% higher than during the same period in 2025. Compared with the April monthly report, staffing employment was largely unchanged.
“The ASA Staffing Index is not only making year-to-year gains, but is now approaching levels last seen in 2024,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA. “In the midst of a costly and uncertain hiring market, business leaders continue to turn to temporary and contract employment to support their core operations. While challenges remain, staffing companies can be cautiously optimistic about future growth for the industry.”
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 5.
The ASA Staffing Index is reported nine days after each work week, 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.
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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 advances 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.