December 21, 2021

ASA Staffing Index: December Staffing Employment Remains at Record Levels

Staffing employment for the week of Dec. 6–12 edged up 0.7% from the previous week, increasing the ASA Staffing Index to a rounded value of 108. This marks the thirteenth consecutive week in which the index has measured 100 or greater, an achievement that has only occurred once before in 2014. Several staffing firms cited seasonal business fluctuations and Covid-19 as factors limiting further growth in temporary and contract staffing employment. There were 18.3% more staffing jobs compared with the same week in 2020.

Following the prior week’s surge, new starts contracted 8.4% on average, with a third of staffing companies reporting gains in new assignments week-to-week.

This week, containing the 12th day of the month, will be used in the December monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Jan. 7.

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Upcoming Events

Save 15% on Onboarding Courses on ASA Learn—December Only!

Industry onboarding courses from ASA have been specifically designed for staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions professionals—and can help your company boost its new hire training program. Whether you are training team members new to the staffing industry or offering a refresher to skilled professionals, these courses are a great way to ensure your team is armed with the most up-to-date and valuable information about the industry.

The online course modules include “Introduction to the Staffing Industry,” “Fundamentals of Sales,” and “Fundamentals of Recruiting.” Learn more on ASA Learn.

Right now is the perfect time to invest in yourself, your company, and your future success. During the December sale, you’ll receive a 15% discount when you use the discount code HOLIDAY21 in the ASA Store. (The discount cannot be applied to renewal fees.) The sale ends Dec. 31.

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Get Insights From the 2021 Staffing Industry Playbook

The highly anticipated Staffing Industry Playbook, an annual economic analysis of the staffing industry, was recently released by ASA. The playbook provides data-driven information and insights that are critical to strategic planning and business development—in a user-friendly format—so you can understand the U.S. staffing and recruiting industry during the current economic disruption and evaluate where it’s headed.

You can also get a look at the major takeaways from the Staffing Industry Playbook in the on-demand Staffing STATS webinar series, sponsored by Essential StaffCARE. Visit americanstaffing.net/webinars to view it.

Plus, you can download charts and figures to share with clients and the media—visit americanstaffing.net/playbook.

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Staffing Today is published by the American Staffing Association, with news abstracts copyrighted in 2024 by SmithBucklin of Chicago, IL, and all other content copyrighted in 2024 by ASA. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

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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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