April 28, 2026

ASA Staffing Index Grows in April

Staffing employment grew during the week of April 13–19, with the ASA Staffing Index increasing by 0.8% to a rounded value of 88. Staffing companies cited no one particular factor that hindered growth. Staffing jobs were 5.3% higher compared with the same period last year, up from 3.6% recorded the previous week.

New starts also increased in the 16th week of the year, up 2.2% from the prior week. Three in 10 staffing companies (30%) reported gains in new assignments week to week, below the average of 40% so far in 2026.

The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average improved from the previous week to a rounded value of 88. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending April 19 was 4.9% higher than during the same period in 2025.

“Temporary and contract staffing employment has reached seven months of year-to-year growth,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA. “Employers are increasingly turning to short-term, flexible talent to fulfill their business needs in an uncertain economy.”

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

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Upcoming Events

ASA Webinar Today on Managing Organizational Shifts—Complimentary to Members

Don’t miss the ASA webinar “Driving Change: The Three Shifts for Acceleration and Evolution.” It takes place today from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Amy Yackowski of Painted Porch Strategies will discuss how you can navigate roadblocks with purpose and alignment—and turn obstacles into opportunities for growth and transformation.

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

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ASA Announces New Partnership With the Safety Standard to Help Staffing Agencies Deliver Safe, Job-Ready Talent Faster

The American Staffing Association announced a new affinity partnership between ASA and digital training and certification platform the Safety Standard, which will help industrial staffing agencies strengthen safety, reduce risk, and deliver safety-certified workers to clients fast.

The Safety Standard helps staffing agencies train, evaluate, and certify industrial workers faster and more reliably—users can assign safety training during onboarding so workers are prepared and safety-certified before they arrive on site. The platform also replaces paper certificates and manual tracking with digital safety training, standardized evaluations, and instant certification records. Staffing agencies can verify worker credentials in real time, complete client evaluations, and generate audit-ready documentation, resulting in faster hiring, stronger compliance, and greater confidence for clients in safety-sensitive roles.

As part of the partnership, ASA members will receive an exclusive 10% discount on the online platform—find out more at asamarketplace.americanstaffing.net.

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Staffing Today is published by the American Staffing Association, with news abstracts copyrighted in 2026 by SmithBucklin of Chicago, IL, and all other content copyrighted in 2026 by ASA. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

About ASA

The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. Learn more at americanstaffing.net.

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