ASA Staffing Index

Data Employment

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

Latest Updates

ASA Staffing Index: April 2026 2026-04-28 10:30
ASA Staffing Index: March 2026 2026-03-24 10:30
The ASA Staffing Index rose +0.3% WoW and +3.0% YoY in mid-February 2026, indicating continued gradual staffing growth.
- The index increased to 85 in the week of Feb 9–15, with weather cited as limiting stronger gains.
- Staffing employment growth accelerated to +3.0% YoY (prior week: +2.3%), showing improving annual momentum.
- New assignments rose +14.4% WoW, suggesting stronger short-term hiring activity.
- 41% of firms reported WoW increases in new starts, matching last year’s participation rate.
- The four-week moving average held at 84, indicating a stable near-term trend.
- Temporary and contract staffing employment over four weeks was +2.2% YoY, confirming ongoing improvement versus 2025.
- Employers appear to favor temporary workers over permanent hires, consistent with steady but cautious hiring behavior.
Source
The ASA Staffing Index rose +2.6% WoW in mid-January and was +2.0% YoY, pointing to continued rebound in staffing employment.
- The ASA Staffing Index increased to 84 during the week of Jan. 12 to 18, reflecting a solid week-to-week pickup in staffing activity.
- Staffing employment ran +2.0% YoY, accelerating from +1.2% YoY the prior week, indicating firmer annual growth momentum.
- New starts declined -8.4% WoW, showing weaker week-to-week assignment creation after earlier gains.
- Only 32% of staffing firms reported WoW increases in new assignments, below last year’s 41% average, signaling narrower participation in growth.
- The four-week moving average of the Staffing Index slipped to 80, suggesting slightly softer short-term trend momentum despite the weekly rebound.
- Temporary and contract staffing employment over the past four weeks was +1.8% YoY, confirming continued improvement versus the same period in 2024.
Source
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.
Source
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.
Source
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.
Source
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.
Source
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.
Source
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.
Source
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.
Source
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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