U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.96 million temporary and contract workers per day in the second quarter of 2013, up 1.8% from the same period last year, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association. Although the April through June period marked 14 consecutive quarters of year-to-year staffing payroll additions since the recession ended in 2009, job growth has been more muted in the past few quarters.

“The staffing industry is proud of the role that it is playing in continuing to create employment opportunities even in the face of a slowly growing economy,” says Richard Wahlquist, American Staffing Association president and chief executive officer.