Temporary help employment showed little change from August to September (0.2%), according to seasonally adjusted data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Staffing employment was 3.7% higher than in September 2014.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that temporary help employment increased 1.5% from August to September. Year-to-year, there were 3.4% more staffing employees in September than in the same month last year.

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment increased 142,000 jobs in September (seasonally adjusted), BLS reported. Revisions for July and August decreased nonfarm payroll employment by 59,000, with monthly job gains averaging 167,000 over the past three months.

“The news behind the headlines is that demand continues to outpace the supply of qualified candidates for staffing and recruiting firms across several industry sectors,” said Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “With the labor force participation rate dropping to 62.4%, a level not seen since September 1977, there needs to be much more focus on ensuring that the American workforce has the skills needed to support U.S. growth and competitiveness in the years ahead.”

The unemployment rate held at 5.1% in September.