Temporary help employment showed little change from June to July (-0.3%), according to seasonally adjusted data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Staffing employment was 4.5% higher than in July 2014. Over the past 12 months, year-to-year staffing job growth has averaged 5.7%.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that temporary help employment decreased 1.1% from June to July. Year-to-year, there were 5.4% more staffing employees in July than in the same month last year.

“Staffing firms across several sectors report continued tightening of the labor supply of qualified candidates,” said Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “At the same time, there has been an increase in temporary-to-hire conversions and demand for recruiting permanent candidates. This is positive for job seekers looking for a bridge to permanent work.”

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 215,000 jobs in July (seasonally adjusted), BLS reported. Incorporating revisions for May and June, the data showed that monthly job gains averaged 235,000 over the past three months, less than the average of 246,000 for the prior 12 months.

The unemployment rate held at 5.3% in July.