The new ASA Weekly Economic & Business Outlook (WEBO) launched this morning for ASA members—this targeted data and analysis tool for staffing professionals features weekly analysis designed to deliver the data-driven intelligence and forward-looking business acumen ASA members need to track trends and capitalize on opportunities. 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.

A link to the first ASA WEBO was sent to members this morning and will land every Tuesday morning. Make sure to allow the email sender address, research@americanstaffing.net, so you don’t miss this valuable new member benefit and business tool (or opt out via the email).

It’s the most powerful and targeted data and analysis tool available to staffing professionals. Exclusively for members, the new ASA Weekly Economic & Business Outlook (WEBO) features weekly analysis designed to deliver the data-driven intelligence and forward-looking business acumen ASA members need to track trends and capitalize on opportunities. 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.

A link to the first ASA WEBO will start landing in member email boxes starting tomorrow morning and will land every Tuesday morning, unless you choose to opt out via the email. Make sure to whitelist the email sender address, research@americanstaffing.net, so you don’t miss this valuable new member benefit and business tool.

Register for the ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference before registration rates increase March 15 to hear from subject matter experts on the industry’s most pressing topics—including artificial intelligence, contract negotiations, legislation aimed at the staffing industry, remote work, and more.

This two-day event features sessions for staffing firm owners and executives, human resource professionals, compliance managers, recruiters, and attorneys. It all takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC. Check out the session descriptions online, and then register at staffinglawconference.net for the best rate available.

The ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference is your opportunity to learn must-know legal and compliance information to help protect your firm, win more clients, and hone your operational excellence. Get the staffing, human resource, employment law, and compliance updates you need in sessions such as “Avoiding the Courthouse: Strategies and Alternatives”; “Class Actions and EEOC Enforcement”; “Employee Handbooks and HR Policies for Staffing Firms: What’s New, What’s Harmful, and What’s Missing”; and more.

Visit staffinglawconference.net to register today before rates increase—and to take advantage of a special Leap Day offer. If you register today, not only will you receive the early rate and save more than $200, but you’ll also be entered into a drawing for the newly released ASA Staffing Law Handbook, which provides a concise overview of how U.S. federal employment laws uniquely affect staffing as well as HR-related operations and compliance.

Staffing employment declined for the second week in a row during the week of Feb. 12–18, with the ASA Staffing Index decreasing by 1.0% to a rounded value of 90. Staffing companies mentioned no one primary factor that limited further growth. Staffing jobs were down 10.6% from the same period last year.

New starts in the seventh week of the year, however, increased by 9.9% from the prior week. Four in 10 staffing companies (40%) reported gains in new assignments week to week.

The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average increased from the prior week to a rounded value of 90, and temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending Feb. 18 was 11.0% lower than the same period in 2023.

“While staffing employment often moderates in February, it is typically preceded by a robust recovery in staffing jobs following the holiday season. An anemic early-year surge in 2024 is indicative of tightening business conditions, which continue to challenge the industry and economy at large,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA.

This week will be used in the February monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics March 8.

More than half of U.S. workers (53%) feel their paychecks are not keeping up with the pace of inflation, according to a new ASA Workforce Monitor^® study from ASA and The Harris Poll.

As interest rates and inflation exert increased pressure on consumers’ finances, the survey found that only 47% of U.S. workers do think their paycheck is keeping up with the current rate of inflation.

Nearly four in 10 (38%) U.S. adults said their overall financial situation is more stressful than it was 12 months ago, at a time when the majority of Americans say inflation is causing them to save less for unexpected expenses.

“The data may project a soft landing for the economy, but the bank accounts of America’s workers are telling a different story,” said ASA chief executive officer Richard Wahlquist. “With the price of a pound of ground beef increasing by 29% over just four years and personal savings rates at their lowest levels in 15 years, U.S. workers are understandably stressed about the adequacy of their paychecks and their ability to save for their future. Unless things begin to turn around quickly, workers’ negative attitudes about their finances and the economy will likely be a top issue when voters go to the polls in November.”

The ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference will feature subject matter experts on the industry’s most pressing topics—including artificial intelligence, contract negotiations, legislation aimed at the staffing industry, and remote work—and you can save more than $200 if you register by March 15.

This two-day event features sessions for staffing firm owners and executives, human resource professionals, compliance managers, recruiters, and attorneys. Plus, when you register, you’ll be entered to win a copy of the new ASA Staffing Law Handbook.

The conference takes place May 16–17 at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown in Washington, DC, and ASA has reserved a block of hotel rooms for conference attendees at a special daily rate. These rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit staffinglawconference.net to register for the Staffing Law & Compliance Conference and make your travel plans.

Despite broader merger and acquisitions market challenges and volatility during 2023, staffing M&A remained highly active throughout the year, with signs of continued momentum in early 2024. Jeremy Falendysz of UHY Corporate Finance and Paul Pincus of Ortoli Rosenstadt will analyze staffing M&A market data and share their insights into relevant trends for staffing company buyers and sellers during the ASA webinar “Staffing Mergers and Acquisitions Market Update: 2023 Takeaways and 2024 Outlook.” It takes place Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2–3 p.m. Eastern time.

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.

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 2023 will close this Friday, Feb. 23. Participate in the survey and compare how your company is doing with similar-sized companies and firms within your industry sector.

After completing the survey, you will be able to access 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. Visit americanstaffing.net/quarterly-survey to take the survey today.

Attendees of the upcoming ASA Staffing Law & Compliance Conference have the option of also registering for a special compliance preconference program called “Health Care Staffing: Legal and Legislative Updates,” which takes place Wednesday, May 15, 1–5 p.m. at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown. The main conference begins at the same location the next morning and continues through May 17.

You do not have to be currently operating in the health care staffing sector to register for this newly announced program. Compliance preconference program attendees will hear important updates about legal and legislative proposals and policies that affect a major sector of the staffing industry—including federal and state efforts to regulate staffing agencies with health care lines of business, top current and forthcoming legal issues in health care staffing, and current best practices for compliance and growth. The preconference registration rate is $200. If you have not yet registered for this year’s Staffing Law & Compliance Conference, register today and add on the preconference option.

Learn more at staffinglawconference.net. Questions? Email Katie McGilvery or call 703-253-2020.