New Starts Also Increase
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report, February 2021
Staffing employment for the week of Feb. 8–14 was up 0.8% from the prior week, according to the ASA Staffing Index. There were 3.2% more staffing jobs compared with the same week of 2020—the first week-six advance in three years. Temporary-to-hire conversions, inclement weather, and the persistence of Covid-19 were mentioned as factors limiting even further growth. Just over half (52%) of staffing firms reported increased temporary and contract employment.
New starts were up 1.4% on average, with nine in 10 (93%) of staffing companies reporting gains in new assignments week-to-week.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average held at a value of 89. Temporary and contract staffing employment mid-January through mid-February expanded 2% year-to-year.
“An upward trend is emerging for staffing employment, which bodes well for nearer-term staffing job recovery even amid the pandemic,” said Cynthia Davidson, senior director of research for the American Staffing Association.
This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the February monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 5.
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.
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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.
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