ASA offers special thanks to everyone who experienced Staffing World^®, the ASA annual convention and expo last month. Staffing industry professionals convened in a state-of-the-art virtual reality environment and attended powerful keynote presentations and breakout sessions.

They also made valuable connections in the virtual coffee house, sponsored by PandoLogic, and in the expo hall, which showcased 54 elite exhibitors and sponsoring companies. Check out all these standout solution providers and a fun, fast-paced recap video at virtualSW20.net. (You will be prompted for your email address, but the site is open to all.)

We look forward to seeing everyone next year at Staffing World 2021, scheduled to take place Sept. 28–30 in Denver.

Are you a woman looking for ways to grow your leadership skills and expand your professional reach in the staffing industry? Don’t miss THRIVE 2020, a new collaborative virtual event brought to you by the ASA women in leadership interest group.

The half-day event takes place Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1:30─6 p.m. Eastern time. Hear from powerful and inspiring women presenters who will share effective growth strategies that have propelled their careers and positioned them for continued success. Learn from and connect with standout women leaders in a collaborative virtual environment.

ASA-certified professionals can earn up to 3.0 hours of continuing education toward certification renewal. Get more information and register online at americanstaffing.net.

Provide training for your temporary and permanent workers—and comply with the law—with cost-effective and state-specific training. ASA has introduced a comprehensive online course specifically for staffing company use.

ASA has partnered with Kantola Training Solutions to provide full-service training for the workers staffing companies employ. It allows you to track candidate and employee progress, download status reports, and more. The training was co-developed with Littler, the world’s largest labor and employment law firm.

In Illinois, employees must be trained by Dec. 31, 2020; in California, staffing firms’ internal employees must be trained by Jan. 1, 2021, and temporary employees must be trained beginning Jan. 1, 2021. In Connecticut, certain employees must be trained by Jan. 1, 2021. The training requirements in Delaware, Maine, and New York have been in effect for some time.

Visit americanstaffing.net/harassmentprevention for details. ASA members receive a discount.

ASA also offers a basic harassment prevention training product in collaboration with the New York Staffing Association, an ASA-affiliated chapter.

Are you looking for opportunities to contribute your skills and insights in the staffing industry, and serve as an industry leader? ASA is currently seeking dedicated members for volunteer committees and councils.

Apply for a volunteer opportunity to work directly with other members, learn about workforce trends and best practices, and build on your experience to become a thought leader with the association.

Applications for several opportunities are due tomorrow, Oct. 31. Log in to ASA Central and visit the Volunteer page to find an opportunity that fits your interests.

Don’t miss today’s ASA webinar “Virtual Fireside Chat With National Urban League,” brought to you by the ASA inclusion, diversity, and equity advocacy (IDEA) group council, 3:30–4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Find out how you can be part of the dialogue to end systemic racism and support sustainable change for the betterment of your temporary and contract employees.

All ASA webinars are free for ASA members, and most qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. To learn more and to register, visit americanstaffing.net.

Staffing employment for the week of Oct. 12–18 expanded 2.0% from the prior week, increasing to a rounded value of 85, according to the ASA Staffing Index. This week marks the largest week-to-week increase for the comparative week since the inception of the index in 2006. Staffing jobs were down 12.5% from the same week last year, further narrowing the year-to-year gap after six months of nearly uninterrupted growth following a historical low in April.

New starts were up for the fifth consecutive week, increasing 5.8% on average, with half (48%) of staffing companies reporting gains in new assignments week-to-week.

“The number of temporary jobs in the U.S. continues to rise, solidifying an upward trend toward recovery,” said Cynthia Davidson, ASA senior director of research. “The coming weeks will be very influential in shaping the next phase of regaining stability for staffing employment.”

This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the October monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Nov. 6.

Are you looking for opportunities to contribute your skills and insights in the staffing industry, and serve as an industry leader? ASA is currently seeking dedicated members for volunteer committees and councils.

Apply for a volunteer opportunity to work directly with other members, learn about workforce trends and best practices, and build on your experience to become a thought leader with the association.

Applications for several opportunities are due this week. Log in to ASA Central and visit the Volunteer page to find an opportunity that fits your interests.

The fourth and final day of Staffing World^® 2020, an immersive virtual experience, gets started today at 12:45 p.m. Eastern time with workshops, Game Changer sessions, and time to network with exhibitors and colleagues. At 3:30 p.m., don’t miss keynote speaker Carla Harris, vice chairman of global wealth management and senior client adviser at Morgan Stanley (sponsored by Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP). The event then wraps up at a happy hour with exhibitors from 5 to 6 p.m.

Yesterday, for Work Better Wednesday, attendees heard from keynote speaker Marc Morial of National Urban League. His discussion “Tough Lessons Learned: Diversity, Inclusion, Staffing, and Success” (sponsored by Anthem) offered an honest, personal perspective on overcoming the societal and situational challenges staffing firms are facing right now. That was followed by dozens of educational breakout sessions, opportunities for speed coaching meetings, expo hall hours, and more.

It’s not too late to join in the virtual experience—register now at staffingworld.net to participate in today’s educational sessions, virtual discussion groups, Coffee House meetups, and more. Register now and you’ll be able to access all the available recordings from all four days of the convention.

Staffing World^® 2020, the ASA annual convention and expo, resumes later today right on your computer or other device. The second day of the immersive virtual experience kicked off yesterday with the introduction of the 2021 National Staffing Employee of the Year and Sector All-Stars (sponsored by StaffPRO3). Then keynote speaker Erik Qualman offered his insights in the presentation “Digital Transformation: Design Your Future” (sponsored by World Wide Specialty Programs).

Today is Work Better Wednesday, featuring content that focuses on workplace culture. First, keynote speaker Marc Morial of National Urban League will look at how employers can inspire change, success, and prosperity while surviving a pandemic, navigating a recession, facing unemployment, and battling social injustice (sponsored by Anthem). Breakout sessions in the afternoon will cover such topics as employment law, internal retention strategies, and onboarding tactics. Educational sessions take place from 12:45 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the virtual expo hall is open until 5 p.m.