Staffing employment dipped in the week of Dec. 11–17, with the ASA Staffing Index decreasing by 0.9% to a rounded value of 97. Some staffing companies mentioned seasonal business fluctuations and the holidays as primary factors that limited further growth. Staffing jobs were 8.3% below the same week last year.
New starts in the 50th week of the year were down 2.5% from the prior week. Nearly four in 10 staffing companies (35%) reported gains in new assignments week to week.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average decreased from the prior week to a rounded value of 97, and temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending Dec. 17 was 8.3% lower than the same period in 2022.
“The ASA Staffing Index saw a slight drop in December, though some holiday frostbite is typical for staffing employment at this time of year,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA.
This week will be used in the December monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Jan. 5, 2024.
