A Massachusetts labor arbitrator has ruled that Harvard University’s collective bargaining agreement does not require temporary staffing agency employees used by the university dining service to be paid on par with in-house, unionized employees. Harvard retained ASA senior counsel Ed Lenz to provide expert testimony in support of the university’s position.
ASA Staffing Index: Staffing Index Rebounds in July
Staffing employment experienced a healthy rebound in the week after Independence Day, with the ASA Staffing Index rising to a rounded value of 85. The Index returned to its pre-July-Fourth level almost immediately—in a stark contrast to last year, when the recovery took more than two months. Many staffing companies still cited a holiday as a primary factor that hindered further growth. Staffing jobs were 2.8% lower relative to the same period last year, slightly widening the year-to-year gap observed the previous week.
New starts jumped up in the 28th week of the year, increasing 22.3% from the prior week. More than six in 10 staffing companies (64%) reported gains in new assignments week to week, above the average of 42% so far in 2025.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average increased from the previous week to hold at a rounded value of 84. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending July 13 was 3.9% below the same period in 2024.
“The speed and scale of recovery following the July Fourth dip suggests staffing industry employment has reached its trough, mirroring levels last seen after the Great Recession. Although the staffing industry has yet to see a more comprehensive recovery due to an ongoing freeze in labor market activity, the economy at large still very much has demand for temporary workers,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA.
This week will be used in the July monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Aug. 1.
Free EARN Webinar Tomorrow on Employing People With Disabilities
Join the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN) tomorrow for a free webinar designed specifically for small business owners and hiring managers. During the “Hiring Talent, Meeting Workforce Needs: Disability Employment Basics for Small Businesses” webinar you’ll learn how to strengthen your small business team and better serve your community by tapping into the more than 22 million working-age Americans with disabilities, many of whom are highly skilled.
The webinar takes place 2–3 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow, July 23, and will feature a guest from the Job Accommodation Network as part of an expert discussion about the essentials and benefits of disability employment, employer responsibilities under the Americans With Disabilities Act and other relevant disability employment laws, and more. Visit askearn.org to learn more and register.
ASA Webinar Today on Strategizing for Future Success—Complimentary to Members
Don’t miss the ASA webinar “2025 Halftime Huddle: First-Half Insights and Second-Half Strategies for Staffing Leaders.” It takes place today from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Eric Gregg, founder of ASA corporate partner ClearlyRated, will review data from the first two quarters of 2025 and identify strategic shifts that staffing firms can implement to adapt and dominate in the second half of 2025. Sponsored by ClearlyRated.
All ASA webinars are complimentary for ASA members, and most qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. To learn more and to register, visit americanstaffing.net.
See What’s Coming Next for Your Business at Staffing World
The Advance Program for Staffing World® 2025 is now available online—it’s your first look at the unmatched content, powerful speakers, strategic insights, and essential resources awaiting you at the ASA annual convention and expo, Oct. 6–8 in Orlando, FL.
Get the details on strategy, insights, and leadership that moves the needle:
- Opening keynote speaker Katie Ledecky, Olympic icon, on setting “impossible” goals to achieve growth and success (opening keynote sponsored by World Wide Specialty, a Division of Philadelphia Insurance Cos.)
- Closing keynote speaker Carla Harris, Wall Street veteran, on maximizing your influence and success and expecting to win (closing keynote sponsored by ConverzAI)
- Deep dives on artificial intelligence, sales leadership, mergers and acquisitions, and market growth strategies
- Continuing education hours you can earn by attending sessions, THRIVE Live, and presentations at the Knowledge Hub
- A powerhouse expo featuring exhibitors, Tech Talks, and Speed Talks
- Author meet-and-greets, peer networking, and more
Staffing World 2025 is built for future-focused staffing professionals like you who are navigating a tight market, shifting regulations, technological disruptions, and client demands. Visit staffingworld.net to learn more—and keep in mind: When you bring your team, you’ll save 15% on full registration packages for additional attendees.
What Did This Week’s WEBO Say About Job Gains in June?
The Weekly Economic & Business Outlook—or WEBO—is an ASA resource that goes out to member email boxes every Tuesday. Every week, ASA researchers examine trends within the staffing industry, as well as developments within the broader economy, and then deliver succinct takeaways that can help drive strategic business decisions.
In the most recent edition, ASA analysts examined how last week’s U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job report, indicating that the economy added 147,000 nonfarm payroll jobs last month (above the anticipated 110,000) and suggesting an overall steady labor market, actually presents some persistent challenges and stagnation for the staffing industry. Without rate cuts and economic stability to stir labor market activity, they say, the industry’s recovery will continue to idle.
The WEBO is a powerful and targeted data and analysis tool with features designed to deliver the data-driven intelligence you need to track trends and capitalize on opportunities. To make sure you’re getting your WEBO each week, as well as other ASA research emails, click the “Unsubscribe/Manage Email Preferences” link at the very bottom of this email and opt in to research content. Also, be sure to allow emails from research@americanstaffing.net.
Why You Should Earn Your ASA Certification
Do you want to be a greater asset to your clients and talent? Differentiate yourself and your company? Show staffing firm employees that you value them and their careers?
If you answered ‘yes,’ here are five reasons to invest in yourself, your team, and your staffing company by earning the ASA Certified Staffing Professional® credential from ASA:
- An ASA credential is the most prestigious in the staffing industry.
- You will be a more valuable partner to your clients.
- You’ll be better equipped to attract and advocate for talent.
- Your staffing company will have an expert in you.
- You’ll be able to help protect your staffing firm from potentially costly legal missteps.
Learn more at americanstaffing.net/certify. Questions? Contact ASA at certification@americanstaffing.net.
Member Sound Off: How AI Cuts the Clutter
Are staffing firms investing in technology to automate repetitive tasks? Do companies use artificial intelligence (AI) to perform recruiting functions? Find out how your peers answered these questions in the latest issue of Staffing Success magazine. Member Sound Off highlights answers to intriguing questions from industry leaders. For this issue, ASA members were asked how they have used AI to streamline operational efforts and improve efficiency.
Access the current issue and back issues of Staffing Success, and other ASA digital publications, at americanstaffing.net/digital.
How Are Staffing Firms Using Technology?
Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, providing innovative new ways to source, engage, select, and hire candidates. Navigating and understanding the technology landscape, however, is a challenge. ASA and Talent Tech Labs ran an industry-wide survey to understand how staffing firms are utilizing technology and how satisfied they are with specific tools and vendors.
Check out the results for help benchmarking your firm’s use of technology and mapping a technology roadmap. There’s an infographic that highlights the most important strategic findings from that survey—including overall industry adoption, satisfaction with vendors, the average number of technology tools that staffing firms use, and even what the actual industry “tech stack” looks like today.
ASA Advocates for Key Staffing-Related Provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill
Following months of meetings, negotiations, starts and stops, and tweaking, adding, and removing language, Congress passed H.R. 1, “An Act to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14” (also known as “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act”). The 870-page bill was signed into law by president Trump on July 4.
Since the 119th Congress convened in January, ASA has held more than 60 meetings with key members of Congress and staff of the House Ways and Means Committee, including chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), as well as staff and members of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. While the bill touches every aspect of federal policy from taxes to health care to immigration to defense to energy, ASA advocacy efforts focused on making permanent Section 199A, the qualified business income deduction; preservation of the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement classification for temporary workers; preservation of the favorable tax treatment for per diem plans; and the future of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. See the full article detailing the advocacy efforts and accomplishments of the ASA legal team.
ASA will closely monitor the implementation of H.R. 1, especially as new rules and technical guidance are developed and published. If you have any questions regarding the bill and how it may affect your company, feel free to reach out to the ASA legal department.