This month, be sure to attend two free events presented by the ASA inclusion, diversity, and equity advocacy (IDEA) group.

Thursday, Jan. 27—Get insights and inspiration from a panel of women of color in the c-suite during the ASA webinar “Panel Discussion: Women of Color in the Staffing Industry C-Suite,” 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Learn strategies to recruit, retain, and develop leaders from diverse backgrounds; get tips on how companies can advance diversity and inclusion; and find out about the effectiveness of allyship, mentorship, and sponsorship.

Tuesday, Feb. 8—Experience a live Coffee With a Black Guy session, 3–4 p.m. Eastern time. The program was so popular at Staffing World^® 2021 that CWABG founder James Joyce III has agreed to return for another discussion so you can learn how to have uncomfortable conversations, how diversity in race and perspectives can add value to the workplace, and how you can build better cross-cultural understanding.

Both events are free for ASA members and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. To learn more and to register, visit americanstaffing.net. The ASA IDEA group is sponsored by ASA corporate partner Monster and by Anthem, along with supporting sponsors TerraFirma and WorkN.

Don’t miss your chance to get the staffing and recruiting data you need. The association’s quarterly Staffing Employment and Sales Survey for the fourth quarter of 2021 is now open. The year-end survey will also include annual benchmarks for 2021.

Complete the survey for access to an exclusive online report archive, which includes benchmarks for the number of direct hire searches and permanent placements, sector-specific gross margin trends, and payroll and productivity metrics by company size. Participate by Feb. 25 to get the staffing industry information you’re looking for. There are no fees to participate.

Register to take the survey at americanstaffing.net/quarterly-survey.

Your membership in ASA sets you apart from the competition and increases your value to current and potential clients and employees. Don’t miss out on all the networking, events, news, data, and research you have access to as an ASA member, including

• Industry-specific data and research
• Legal and legislative resources
• Networking in the ASA Central community
• Professional development opportunities

Stay connected to the powerful community of your peers and the wealth of curated resources designed to help you thrive—renew now to keep all of your ASA benefits without interruption.

Shop now to get a 15% discount on ASA education and research products—including certification exam packages, professional onboarding courses on ASA Learn, and industry data and survey reports.

The ASA holiday sale ends tomorrow, Dec. 31. Use the code HOLIDAY21 in the ASA Store to save 15%. (The discount cannot be applied to renewal fees.)

The newsletter you are currently reading is just one of the many publications ASA offers to help association members stay informed about all the important issues that could affect their businesses.

From Staffing Today (your daily source for up-to-the-minute staffing industry, employment, and economic news; legal and legislative updates; and industry research) to Staffing Success magazine (the award-winning flagship publication of ASA)—as well as the ASA for You newsletter, Staffing Law Digest, and ASA Research Brief enewsletter—ASA offers the resources to ensure that its ASA members are the best-informed professionals in the staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry.

Subscriptions to ASA publications are a benefit of ASA membership. Has your company renewed its membership for 2022? Don’t let your member benefits lapse—renew today at americanstaffing.net/renew.

ASA members turned to the ASA Data Dashboard in record numbers in 2021 to navigate the uncertain economy throughout the pandemic, giving them valuable market and competitive insight and enabling them to make informed decisions about their business.

ASA members get special access to economic data, survey reports, research, and analysis relevant to the staffing industry. Has your company renewed its membership for 2022? Don’t let your member benefits lapse—renew today at americanstaffing.net/renew.

Staffing employment for the week of Dec. 6–12 edged up 0.7% from the previous week, increasing the ASA Staffing Index to a rounded value of 108. This marks the thirteenth consecutive week in which the index has measured 100 or greater, an achievement that has only occurred once before in 2014. Several staffing firms cited seasonal business fluctuations and Covid-19 as factors limiting further growth in temporary and contract staffing employment. There were 18.3% more staffing jobs compared with the same week in 2020.

Following the prior week’s surge, new starts contracted 8.4% on average, with a third of staffing companies reporting gains in new assignments week-to-week.

This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the December monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Jan. 7.

U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.7 million temporary and contract workers per week in the third quarter of 2021, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association—up approximately 90,600 from the second quarter.

“The staffing industry is playing an increasingly important role in today’s labor market by providing talent sourcing expertise and workforce flexibility to employers in need of workers, and helping candidates find roles that are the right fit,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer.

On a year-to-year basis, staffing jobs rose 15.2% in the third quarter of 2021 from the same period in 2020—which was still early in the economy’s recovery from the initial hit of the Covid-19 pandemic. Temporary and contract staffing sales totaled $36.1 billion in the third quarter, an increase of 21.8% from the third quarter of 2020.

Right now is the perfect time to invest in yourself, your company, and your future success. Through Dec. 31, you’ll receive a 15% discount on ASA education and research products—Certified Staffing Professional^®, Technical Services Certified^SM, Certified Search Consultant^®, or Certified Health Care Staffing Professional^® exam packages; professional onboarding courses on ASA Learn; and industry data and survey results such as the 2020 Candidate Sentiment Study.

Get your 15% discount by using the code HOLIDAY21 in the ASA Store. (The discount cannot be applied to renewal fees.) The sale ends Dec. 31.

Don’t miss the ASA webinar “ASA State of the Industry Webinar Series—A Quarterly Update for Staffing Professionals.” It takes place today from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time. The final installment of the quarterly webinar series for this year—presented by ASA and ClearlyRated, the association’s satisfaction survey partner—will focus on job candidates. Learn the keys to attracting, retaining, and placing more candidates for your firm—along with specific examples from the field and key legislative updates.

All ASA webinars are free for ASA members—has your company renewed its membership for 2022? Don’t let your member benefits lapse. Renew today at americanstaffing.net/renew.

Most ASA webinars qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. To learn more and to register, visit americanstaffing.net.