ASA Staffing Index

Data Employment

Source: American Staffing Index
Source Link: https://americanstaffing.net/
Frequency: Weekly
Next Release(s): January 28th, 2026 10:30 AM

Latest Updates

The ASA Staffing Index increased +0.9% WoW in mid-December, with staffing employment running +4.2% YoY, signaling steady late-year momentum.
- The ASA Staffing Index rose to 92 during the week of Dec. 8–14, up from the prior week, showing continued week-to-week growth in staffing activity.
- Staffing employment was +4.2% YoY, accelerating from +3.6% YoY the previous week, indicating a firmer annual growth pace.
- New starts increased +3.0% WoW, with 42% of staffing firms reporting gains, matching the 2025 average and suggesting typical breadth of expansion.
- The four-week moving average held at 91, edging down slightly WoW but remaining elevated relative to earlier periods.
- Temporary and contract staffing employment for the four weeks ending Dec. 14 was +3.7% YoY, underscoring sustained improvement compared with the same period in 2024.
- Staffing firms reported no single dominant factor constraining growth, indicating broadly supportive conditions across client demand.
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The ASA Staffing Index rose 1.1% WoW to 93 in mid-November 2025, marking the tenth consecutive week of annual growth and signaling steady improvement in temporary and contract staffing demand.
- Staffing employment was up 4.7% YoY (vs 3.3% YoY the prior week), indicating a pickup in annual momentum.
- New starts increased 9.4% WoW, with 49% of firms reporting gains, above the 2025 average of 42% and showing broad strengthening across agencies.
- The four-week moving average edged up to 92, with temporary and contract staffing up 2.8% YoY for the period ending Nov. 16, extending multi-week annual increases.
- Firms cited no single dominant headwind, suggesting that growth was not constrained by any specific sector or factor.
- ASA highlighted that 10 straight weeks of YoY increases point to more than seasonal patterns, noting employers are cautiously adding temporary workers amid improving borrowing costs and favorable tax conditions.
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The ASA Staffing Index rose 1.1% WoW to 92 in mid-October 2025, with staffing employment up 2.2% YoY, marking the sixth consecutive week of annual growth and the highest level of the year.
- New starts increased 1.0% WoW, with 38% of staffing companies reporting week-to-week gains, slightly below the 2025 average of 42%.
- Four-week moving average held at 91, showing a 1.4% YoY increase in temporary and contract employment for the four weeks ending Oct. 19.
- The YoY employment gain of 2.2% compared with 2.0% the prior week, reflecting steady though modest improvement.
- Firms cited no dominant headwinds affecting growth, suggesting a broad though cautious recovery across staffing segments.
- ASA noted the industry is showing gradual progress in a sluggish labor market, providing a stronger foundation heading into 2026.
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The ASA Staffing Index rose to 90 in mid-September 2025, its highest value of the year, with staffing employment up 0.5% YoY, the first annual gain since January 2023.
- New starts increased 5.4% WoW, with 55% of staffing companies reporting gains, well above the 2025 average of 42%.
- The four-week moving average held at 89, though staffing employment over that period was still -0.3% YoY.
- The index’s year-to-year gap turned positive for the first time since 2023, signaling potential stabilization after prolonged weakness.
- Some firms noted the Labor Day holiday limited stronger growth during the survey week.
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The ASA Staffing Index held at 88 in mid-August 2025, with staffing employment down -1.9% YoY, widening from the -1.1% YoY decline seen the prior week.
- New starts fell -7.2% WoW, with just 36% of staffing firms reporting gains, below the 2025 average of 42%.
- The four-week moving average ticked up to 88, though staffing employment over that period was still -1.2% YoY.
- Despite short-term weakness, the industry has rebounded swiftly from July’s holiday dip, suggesting stabilization after earlier volatility.
- Broader recovery remains constrained by a freeze in labor market activity, though steady demand for temporary workers persists.
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The ASA Staffing Index rose to 85 in the week following July 4th, rebounding quickly to pre-holiday levels, though staffing employment remained down -2.8% YoY.
- New starts surged +22.3% WoW, with 64% of staffing firms reporting gains—well above the 2025 average of 42%.
- The four-week moving average ticked up to 84, with staffing employment down -3.9% YoY over that period.
- ASA noted this recovery pace contrasts with 2024, when post-holiday staffing took over two months to rebound.
- The broader industry remains sluggish due to a freeze in labor market activity, but demand for temp workers persists.
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The ASA Staffing Index held steady WoW at 84.71 for the week of June 9–15, while staffing employment was down -5.6% YoY, slightly wider than the prior week’s -4.8% decline.
- New starts fell -4.5% WoW, though 42% of staffing firms reported assignment gains, matching the 2025 average.
- The four-week moving average ticked up to 84, with staffing jobs down -5.4% YoY over that period.
- ASA notes a gradual recovery trend despite labor market uncertainty and stagnant demand growth.
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The ASA Staffing Index decreased -0.4% WoW to 84 for the week of May 12–18, while staffing employment remained down -5.6% YoY, matching the prior week’s annual gap.
- New starts fell -1.8% WoW, with only 34% of staffing firms reporting assignment gains, below the 2025 average of 42%.
- The four-week moving average rose to 84, with staffing jobs down -5.5% YoY for that period.
- ASA notes a steady recovery trajectory in 2025 despite “minor turbulence” and economic headwinds.
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The ASA Staffing Index rose 0.7% WoW to 84 for the week of April 7–13, while staffing employment remained down -6.2% YoY.
- New starts increased 0.8% WoW, with 47% of staffing firms reporting assignment gains—slightly above the 2025 average of 44%.
- The four-week moving average held at 83, with employment down -7.0% YoY for that period.
- The YoY gap in staffing jobs narrowed from -6.7% the prior week to -6.2%.
- ASA notes continued fragility in the recovery due to low turnover and rising unemployment.
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The ASA Staffing Index held steady at 83 for the week of March 10-16, despite a -0.3% WoW decline, with staffing jobs down -7.7% YoY.
- New starts declined -2.2% WoW, and only 37% of staffing firms reported week-over-week increases in new assignments, below the 2025 average of 45%.
- The four-week moving average remained at 83, with temporary and contract staffing employment down -7.4% YoY.
- Staffing companies continue to face headwinds from higher labor costs, reduced turnover, and economic uncertainty.
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The ASA Staffing Index fell -0.4% WoW and -7.8% YoY in the week of February 10th to 16th, up slightly from -8.3% YoY in the week before.
- New starts were down -10.7% YoY with around 26% of staffing companies reporting increases in new assignments week over week.
- Temporary and contract staffing employment was down -8.6% YoY.
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The ASA Staffing Index increased 1.6% MoM to 82.3 in the week of January 13-19. Staffing jobs were down -5.9% YoY, a weak reading but better than the -8.5% YoY decline in the week before. The 4-week moving average was 78.1, down -10.1% from the previous 4-week period and -8.0% YoY. The index ended 2024 and started 2025 at weak levels but has bounced back towards the end of January.

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