22 Jun Staffing Jobs 6% Higher Year-to-Year in First Quarter of 2012
New Data From the ASA Quarterly Employment and Sales Survey
U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.78 million temporary and contract workers per day during the first three months of 2012, according to recent data released by the American Staffing Association.
“In the face of a painfully slow jobs recovery, staffing firms continue to play an important role in helping job seekers get back on the employment track,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of ASA.
From January through March of this year, U.S. temporary and contract employment, while experiencing a usual seasonal dip from the fourth quarter of 2011 (-4.4%), was 6% higher year-to-year. This is the ninth consecutive quarter of year-to-year staffing industry job growth since the recession ended in 2009.
“Employers remain hesitant to add permanent employees due to uncertainty about the current strength of the economy and future economic conditions, including impending tax increases and spending cuts expected to take effect in January 2013. In times like these, businesses are being much more strategic in sourcing additional talent and maintaining work force flexibility,” Wahlquist says.
Temporary and contract sales totaled $25.0 billion in the first quarter of 2012—9.8% higher than in the same quarter last year.
See Methodology of ASA Economic Surveys for details on the benchmarking of both surveys.
The ASA quarterly survey of temporary and contract staffing collects data on sales, payroll, and employment. ASA has been conducting this survey on a quarterly basis since 1992.
It is the only survey-based estimate of U.S. temporary and contract sales. The survey also tracks employment and payroll, with results that parallel the establishment surveys of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, survey participants account for some 10,000 establishments, about a third of the industry, making the sample at least five times greater than BLS’s.
| Staffing Employment and Sales SurveyThis survey is conducted on a quarterly basis and collects information on temporary and contract staffing sales, payroll, and employment. ASA has been conducting this survey on a quarterly basis since 1992.
View quarterly and annual employment and sales back to 1990 here. |
Participate in the Survey
ASA invites all U.S. staffing firms to participate in the quarterly Staffing Employment and Sales Survey. There are no fees to participate, and those who complete the survey receive an exclusive report on the results, which includes payroll data available nowhere else.
Survey participants are asked to provide sales and gross margin data for all of the sectors in which their firm operates.
Below is a list of these sectors:
- Office/Clerical and Administrative Support
- Industrial
- Health Care
- Information Technology
- Engineering
- Scientific
- Accounting/Finance
- Management (including executives)
- Sales/Marketing
- Legal
- Other Professional
Register now for the survey
See a sample survey:
Option 1: Your firm does not track temporary and contract staffing sales by sector
Option 2: Your firm tracks temporary and contract staffing sales by sector and can provide historic data from 2007-2011
Option 3: Your firm tracks temporary and contract staffing sales by sector and can provide data for 4Q2011 and 1Q2012 only
This survey is conducted by ASA research partner Inavero. 
Contact
Alexandra Karaer
Director of Research
703-253-2048
akaraer@americanstaffing.net