ASA Staffing Index Level Above Last Year by 26%

American Staffing Association - "During the week of June 21–27, 2010, temporary and contract employment increased 0.05%, maintaining the index at a value of 91.  At a current index value of 91, U.S. staffing employment is 32% higher than the level reported for the first week of the current year and is 26% higher than the same weekly period in 2009 (see top chart above)."

MP: The ASA index level of 91 for temporary and contract employment activity in the fourth week of June is the second week in a row at that level, which is the highest reading in 86 weeks ( since late October 2008, see chart above).   The 26% gain in the index marks the tenth consecutive week of an annual gain above 20% compared to the same week last year, and is also the nineteenth straight week of double-digit gains for temporary employment (starting in mid-February).

The ongoing increases in temporary hiring, measured by both the ASA Staffing Index and the BLS temporary employment levels (nine straight monthly increases that have added almost 400,000 jobs since last September), provides evidence that the demand for temporary and contract employment continues to strengthen, which should hopefully translate into more broad-based, permanent job creation in the second half of this year.