Second Quarter Staffing Employment Lags Last Year's High; Demand Remains Steady

New Data From Quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey

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Aug 22, 2019, 12:20 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 3.1 million temporary and contract workers per week in the second quarter of 2019, remaining above three million for 21 consecutive quarters.

Staffing employment decreased 3.4% in the second quarter of 2019 compared with the same period in 2018, which was an 18-year high for the second quarter.

"Although down slightly from last year's high, staffing employment remained on par with the second quarter average of recent years," said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. "And while the demand for temporary and contract employees is still very good across most sectors, industry growth is being constrained by a shortage of qualified talent in a very tight labor market."

Temporary and contract staffing sales totaled $34.1 billion in the second quarter of 2019, down 1.4% from the same quarter last year.

On a quarter-to-quarter basis, staffing employment grew 0.9% from the first quarter to the second quarter. Temporary and contract staffing sales increased 3.8%.

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

Contact
Michelle R. Snyder
Director, Public Relations
703-253-1151
[email protected]

SOURCE American Staffing Association