Berks & Beyond Blog

How’s business?  The ASA Staffing Index can help you answer this question.

The ASA Staffing Index, developed by the American Staffing Association, provides a current measure of staffing industry employment trends.  Published weekly, the index estimates the weekly changes in the number of people employed in temporary and contract work.

Index numbers are reported just nine days after each work week ends, making it a virtual real-time measure of staffing employment trends.  ASA research shows that staffing employment is a coincident economic indicator and leading employment indicator – especially when the economy is emerging from a recession – making the index especially relevant right now for businesses across the nation.

The ASA Staffing Index also serves as a valuable resource for economists, journalists, analysts, researchers and policy makers who are interested in current trends in staffing employment.  Participants account for more than one-third of industry sales offices.

Two numbers are reported weekly.  The first is the weekly percentage change in staffing employment.  The second is the index itself, which shows staffing employment trends over time.  Both numbers are normally posted on the ASA web site on Tuesday mornings.

This Week’s Staffing Index:

Follow this link to view current ASA Staffing Index data.

Monthly Report – April 2011

Staffing employment in April is 7% higher than in the same month last year, according to the ASA Staffing Index.  The index for April is 92, up one index point from 91 in March, suggesting that U.S. staffing employment has increased 1% over the past month.  Staffing employment is typically lowest during the first few months of each year and grows during the subsequent months.

Berks & Beyond – In-Step with Central and Southeastern PA Employers’ Changing Needs

Berks & Beyond delivers customized recruiting services, temporary staffing and workforce solutions to help companies like yours achieve sustained business success as the economy recovers.  What can we do for you?  Contact Berks & Beyond today.

Are you a temporary or contract employee?  Considering taking the plunge?  If so, here are a few key staffing statistics from the American Staffing Association you may find interesting:

• 2.66 million people are employed by staffing companies each day.
• 79% of staffing employees work full-time (virtually the same as the rest of the work force).
• 66% of staffing employees consider flexible work time important.
• 80% of staffing clients say staffing firms offer a good way to find people who can become permanent employees.
• 67% of staffing employees say that “choice of assignments” was an important factor in their job decision.
• 90% of staffing companies provide free training to their temporary and contract employees.
• 65% of staffing employees say they developed new or improved work skills while on assignment.

Want to learn more?

Visit the American Staffing Association’s website to learn more about the staffing industry, or for more employee staffing statistics.

What are your thoughts?

Flexibility.  Experience.  Choice of assignments.  Bridge to permanent employment.  These are just a few of the reasons millions of Americans – and thousands of Berks & Beyond employees - have chosen temporary and contract work.  What are the most important reasons to you?  Please leave your comments below, or contact us directly via our website.