Staffing employment eased to a rounded value of 104 in the week of April 11–17. Falling 1.0% from the previous week, the ASA Staffing Index dipped below 105 for the first time since early February. Staffing firms pointed to April holidays and school breaks as constraints on further growth. Despite the pullback, staffing jobs were up 10.8% from the same week last year.
New starts also fell in the 15th week of the year, decreasing 3.2% from the prior week. About three in 10 staffing companies reported gains in new assignments week-to-week.
“While school breaks and holidays were a barrier to growth in April, staffing employment maintains a double-digit margin over the level seen last year,” said Tim Hulley, ASA assistant director of research.
This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the April monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 6.
