BLS: Staffing Employment Little Changed in March

Seasonally adjusted employment data released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that staffing industry employment dipped slightly, shedding 7,500 jobs (down 0.3%) from February to March. In a year-to-year comparison, temporary help employment for the month was 8.0% higher than in March 2011.

U.S. nonfarm payroll employment in March grew at about half the rate of that noted in February, adding 120,000 new jobs to the economy. Most of the employment growth continued to be driven by new job creation in the private sector.

“For the most part, staffing firms continued to see healthy demand in March, as was reflected by the nonseasonally adjusted BLS employment numbers,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “In the current environment, businesses are understandably cautious about when and how to add additional flexible and permanent staff.”

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that the staffing industry added 29,400 jobs (up 1.2%) from February to March. On a year-to-year basis, there were 8.5% more staffing employees in March compared with the same month in 2011.
Headline News
U.S. Hiring Slows in March as Employers Add Just 120K Jobs, Unemployment Rate Dips to 8.2%
Nearly 8,000 Wisconsinites to Lose Extended Jobless Benefits

Conduct a Successful Site Visit With Free Resources From ASA

Legal Watch
How to Handle the New ADA Landscape
When Making Reference-Check Calls, Take and Retain Good Notes

Trends and Research
Monster Employment Index U.S. Holds Steady in March
NFIB Jobs Survey Shows Mixed Signals
After Increased Hiring, the Travel Industry Is Ready for Your Summer Vacation

Headline News

U.S. Hiring Slows in March as Employers Add Just 120K Jobs, Unemployment Rate Dips to 8.2%
Associated Press (04/06/12)

The U.S. economy added 120,000 jobs in March, marking the smallest increase in five months, the government reported this morning. The number of jobs created last month fell well below expectations and failed to break the 200,000 level for the first time since December. The unemployment rate dipped to 8.2%, but mostly because more Americans stopped looking for work. Though the economy has added 858,000 jobs since December—the best four months of hiring in two years—the mixed report was a disappointment after three months of solid job growth.

Nearly 8,000 Wisconsinites to Lose Extended Jobless Benefits
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (04/05/12) John Schmid

Wisconsin does not meet the federally required threshold for long-term unemployment benefits, because its unemployment rate fell to 6.9% in February. As a result, 7,761 state residents will lose their extended jobless benefits on April 7, and the maximum number of weeks that unemployed residents can claim benefits will drop from 86 to 73. The National Employment Law Project says Wisconsin will fall another tier on June 1 if its unemployment rate remains under 7%, meaning that benefits can be claimed for only 60 weeks. Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, and Tennessee also will lose extended benefits, according to NELP.

ASA for You

Hosting a site tour for legislators; local, state, or federal government officials; or local reporters provides an unmatched opportunity to educate public policy makers and journalists about the staffing industry and the role your business plays in the community. A hands-on experience is a powerful way to make a positive impression.

A good site tour takes careful planning. That’s why ASA created a guide to hosting site tours for influentials. Part of the public relations 101 section of the industry marketing tool kit, the guide is free to members. This resource is designed to help you put your best foot forward and keep your public image polished.

Download the guide to hosting site tours for influentials at americanstaffing.net.

Legal Watch

How to Handle the New ADA Landscape
Texas Lawyer (04/02/12) Michael P. Maslanka

Attorneys are just beginning to feel the effects of amendments to the Americans With Disabilities Act that went into effect in 2009 and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations that went into effect last year. The ADA amendments ordered the courts to interpret the law's language on "substantial limitation" in a pro-employee manner, expanding the number of life activities covered by the law to include everything from cell growth to communication. Experts say this means that lawsuits that once were regularly dismissed are making their way to juries, so that someone who claimed morbid obesity as a disability, for instance, will pass the summary judgment phase if it impacts his or her ability to walk, and under EEOC regulations that interpret the amendments, cancer is considered a covered disability. Lifting and bending are now deemed major life activities, so a painful back condition is considered a "substantial limitation."

Managers should be trained to recognize that conditions that may not seem to be disabilities could be interpreted by the courts as such. They also should understand that employers generally win cases in which a worker with a disability is not otherwise qualified for the job, meaning that if they cannot be at work the required number of hours per week, no reasonable accommodation will change that. However, employers are obligated under law to reasonably accommodate workers with disabilities, interacting with them to develop a reasonable accommodation.

When Making Reference-Check Calls, Take and Retain Good Notes
Business Management Daily (04/04/12)

When employers check applicants' references, they must be sure to take careful notes during those discussions and retain those notes in case there is litigation. The recent case of Romero v. State of North Carolina highlights that need. After Janet Romero, who is white, applied and was rejected for two internal promotions, she sued for race discrimination after two African-American women were selected for the openings.

The supervisor explained to the court that when a choice between candidates was close, he checked their references. Romero's ex-boss explained that he had reservations about her communication skills, a key part of the new job. As the supervisor's notes showed, the other two candidates' supervisors rated both of them highly, offering no reservations about communication skills. The court said that even if Romero met the other requirements, she was not the best qualified based on her supervisor's assessment, and that was a legitimate reason for passing her over.

Trends and Research

Monster Employment Index U.S. Holds Steady in March
Monster Worldwide Inc. News Release (04/06/12)

The Monster Employment Index U.S. shows annual growth of 5% in March, an eased pace from the 11% annual growth recorded in February. The index held steady from February levels on a monthly basis. Commerce activity continues to maintain steady momentum with transportation and warehousing, retail, and wholesale trade recording solid annual growth rates. Public administration remains the weakest trending sector in the index, dropping 16% on an annual basis. All metro markets tracked by the index continue to exhibit positive annual growth.

NFIB Jobs Survey Shows Mixed Signals
NFIB News Release (04/05/12)

Small businesses created the most jobs in March in about a year, according to a National Federation of Independent Business survey released on April 5. The survey of 757 small businesses found that the average number of workers per firm increased by 0.2 workers—the highest since January and February 2011—after being flat in February. However, prospects for the labor market dimmed somewhat, with 15% of respondents reporting unfilled job openings last month, down two points from February. The share of businesses planning to add new workers fell for a fourth straight month.

After Increased Hiring, the Travel Industry Is Ready for Your Summer Vacation
Wanted Analytics (04/05/12) Abby Lombardi

During the past two months, travel agencies, hotels, casinos, airlines, and other travel-related businesses have advertised more than 24,000 jobs online, a 22% increase from a year earlier. Hotels posted 18,000 of the ads, followed by travel agencies and casino hotels. The most in-demand occupations are hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks; maids and housekeeping cleaners; first-line supervisors or managers of food preparation and serving workers; waiters and waitresses; and restaurant cooks. The Washington, DC, metro area saw the highest volume of jobs in the industry, followed by the New York metro area and the Las Vegas metro area.