Staffing employment edged up during the week of Feb. 9–15, with the ASA Staffing Index increasing by 0.3% to a rounded value of 85. Some staffing companies continued to cite inclement weather as a primary factor that hindered growth. Staffing jobs were 3.0% higher compared with the same period last year, up from 2.3% recorded the previous week.
New starts rose in the seventh week of the year, up by 14.4% from the prior week. Around four in 10 staffing companies (41%) reported gains in new assignments week to week, equal to the average last year.
The ASA Staffing Index four-week moving average also edged up from the previous week to hold at a rounded value of 84. Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending Feb. 15 was 2.2% higher than during the same period in 2025.
“Despite some disruptions due to inclement weather, staffing employment has maintained a steady incline since the start of 2026,” said Noah Yosif, chief economist at ASA. “Though more robust momentum depends on greater churn in the labor market at large, an uptick in weekly headcount suggests employers are able to hire, but prefer to lean on temporary staff instead of making long-term personnel investments via permanent roles.”
This week will be used in the February monthly employment situation report scheduled to be issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics March 6.
