U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.9 million temporary and contract workers per day in 2012, up 4.1% from 2011, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association. In 2012, U.S. staffing firms hired 11.5 million temporary and contract employees over the course of the year.

The average turnover rate for temporary and contract workers was 294% in 2012, lower than the 362% reported for 2011.

“The staffing industry played an important role in helping to put America back to work in 2012, providing temporary, contract, and permanent employment for millions of people across every sector and occupation,” says Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “Through career counseling, training, employment, and job placement, staffing and recruiting firms add value to peoples’ lives, from their first jobs to retirement.”

In the fourth quarter of 2012, average daily staffing employment totaled 3.0 million workers, up 1.9% from the third quarter of 2012 and up 1.0% from the fourth quarter of 2011. The October through December period marked 12 consecutive quarters of year-to-year staffing job growth since the recession ended in 2009.

Temporary and contract sales totaled $104.8 billion in 2012, 6.6% higher than in 2011. Fourth quarter sales totaled $26.8 billion, up 2.4% from the same quarter last year.