The staffing industry continued recovering from the 2020 pandemic recession in 2021, as U.S. staffing companies employed an average of 2.7 million temporary and contract workers per week, according to the ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey. While still below the 3.1 million average weekly workers before the pandemic in 2019, it represents a marked improvement over the 2.5 million recorded in 2020.

“As the U.S. economy continues adding back jobs after the pandemic recession, the staffing industry is playing a key role in getting people back to work,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “However, with more than 11 million current job openings, to compete in the war for qualified talent employers need to finely tune their recruiting and retention strategies, embracing flexibility in work schedules and providing more professional development and upskilling opportunities for their employees.”

ASA data show average weekly staffing employment fell 19.5% in 2020 before bouncing back 9.5% in 2021. Annual temporary and contract staffing sales totaled $144.2 billion in 2021, a new record high and an increase of 17.9% from the recession-impacted $122.3 billion in 2020.

During all of 2021, staffing companies hired a total of 14.1 million temporary and contract employees, up from the 13.6 million hired in 2020. The average length of employment with a staffing agency was 10.1 weeks in 2021, an increase over an average tenure of 9.6 weeks seen in 2020.

The ASA Staffing Compensation and Benefits Survey is now open to let member companies participate and get critical data to combat the Great Resignation and win quality talent.

This resource provides the only comprehensive view of corporate employee salaries and benefits in the staffing industry. Data are based on peer input for 27 positions specific to the staffing and recruiting industry, including executive compensation. Participate in the survey and subscribe for access to an exclusive online reporting module.

For more information about the survey and to view report details, visit americanstaffing.net/compensation. Not sure if your company or branch has already registered? Contact the ASA research team at surveys@americanstaffing.net or 703-253-2020.

The ASA Staffing Law Conference—the only event dedicated exclusively to the legal and regulatory issues facing staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions companies—takes place May 5–6 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC. And you can save $200 if you register this week—after this Friday, March 18, prices will increase.

Take advantage of two packed days of networking, plus the industry’s most reliable legal content for your firm, including sessions on the Great Resignation, remote work, immigration enforcement, and more. Review the session descriptions and register at staffinglawconference.net for the lowest rate available.

Can you offer solutions for the challenges that staffing firms face today? ASA is looking for experts in the staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry to share their experience and expertise at Staffing World^®, the ASA annual convention and expo, which this year takes place Oct. 25–27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Submit your proposal for a Breakout Session (concurrent, interactive sessions between 45 and 75 minutes long), Knowledge Hub Technology Talk (10-minute talks on technology topics important to the industry), or other Knowledge Hub Talk (10-minute talks on general topics important to the industry)—the deadline for Breakout Session proposals is March 31, and the deadline for Knowledge Hub talks is May 31. For more information and to start your submission, visit americanstaffing.net/presenters.

ASA will deliver timely, important legal content—information your firm needs to operate successfully—at the 2022 ASA Staffing Law Conference, May 5–6 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC. Make sure you’re there—register today at staffinglawconference.net. After next Friday, March 18, rates for staffing professionals will increase by $200.

Want a preview of this year’s can’t-miss sessions? Watch this video from ASA general counsel Brittany Sakata.

Read all the session descriptions, and then reserve your spot.

The ASA Staffing Law Conference is the only event dedicated exclusively to the legal and regulatory issues facing staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions companies. This year’s event takes place May 5–6 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC—but you’ll need to register by next Friday, March 18, to get the best rates available.

New and veteran staffing professionals alike will benefit from two packed days of learning and networking and the industry’s most reliable legal content for your firm, including sessions on the Great Resignation, remote work, immigration enforcement, and more.

Look over the session descriptions and then visit staffinglawconference.net to reserve your spot and receive the lowest rate available. After next Friday, prices will increase.

The ASA Staffing Law Conference—the only event dedicated exclusively to the legal and regulatory issues facing staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions companies—is two months away. This year’s event takes place May 5–6 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC.

Take advantage of two packed days of learning and networking, and get the answers your staffing company needs to navigate new legal and regulatory challenges. Review the session descriptions and register at staffinglawconference.net for the lowest rate available.

The association’s quarterly Staffing Employment and Sales Survey for the fourth quarter of 2021 closes tomorrow. Staffing companies that complete the brief survey—including search and placement firms—will have access to an exclusive report on the results, enhanced with graphs. The report, which participants can download from the ASA website, also includes an executive summary, plus sales category and sector-level data.

Register to take the survey, or view the questionnaire, at americanstaffing.net/quarterly-survey. If you have questions or did not receive a survey link, email research@americanstaffing.net. There are no fees to participate.

Staffing employment continued its first-quarter growth trend in the week of Feb. 7–13. The ASA Staffing Index rose 0.8% from the previous week, setting a new February record with a rounded value of 105. The measure continues at a level well ahead of 2021—there were 17.3% more staffing jobs compared with the same week in 2021. Several staffing firms mentioned Covid-19 as a factor limiting further growth.

New starts expanded in the sixth week of the year, with an increase of 3.8% over the prior week. More than four in 10 staffing companies reported gains in new assignments week-to-week.

“With six consecutive weeks of growth and record-high readings for this time of year, staffing employment is continuing its strong start to 2022,” said Tim Hulley, ASA assistant director of research.

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

The association’s quarterly Staffing Employment and Sales Survey for the fourth quarter of 2021 closes this Friday, Feb. 25. The data collected by this survey enable ASA to track staffing sales and gross margin trends and provide direct hire metrics. Participate in the Staffing Employment and Sales Survey this week to get the staffing industry information you’re looking for.

Staffing companies that complete the brief survey—including search and placement firms—will have access to an exclusive report on the results, enhanced with graphs. The report, which participants can download from the ASA website, also includes an executive summary, plus sales category and sector-level data.

Register to take the survey at americanstaffing.net/quarterly-survey. There are no fees to participate.