Staffing employment continued its post-holiday rebound in the week of Jan. 10–16. The ASA Staffing Index rose 4.2% from the previous week, returning to triple digits with a rounded value of 101. Staffing firms cited Covid-19 as a factor limiting further growth. There were 13.8% more staffing jobs compared with the same week in 2021.

Growth in new starts cooled a bit but remained positive, with an increase of 2.6% over the prior week. Nearly four in 10 staffing companies reported gains in new assignments week-to-week.

“Staffing employment is showing a strong start to 2022, and the ASA Staffing Index has already returned above 100 after the typical year-end lull,” said Tim Hulley, ASA assistant director of research.

This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the January monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Feb. 4.