American Staffing Association News

A discussion with Jeff Joerres of ASA member Manpower about the latest jobs data from the government.

Correspondent John Yang reports growth in temporary employment as reported in the BLS's latest government jobs data. The segment includes an interview with an executive from ASA member Kelly Services and an anecdote about a temporary employee who took an assignment through the staffing company. (Please note: The segment appears after the Pentagon shooting news in the video clip.)

The U.S. unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent and payrolls fell less than forecast, indicating the labor market strengthened even as East Coast snowstorms forced some employers to temporarily close. Strengthening was also shown through the rise in temporary employment. Payrolls at temporary-help staffing firms often turn up before total employment because companies prefer to see a steady increase in demand before taking on permanent staff.

One analyst opines that unless there is evidence that the growing number of temporary employees are shifting into permanent positions, the long-range view of the economy "remains cloudy."

The February employment report confirms our view that the recovery is firmly on track despite the headline loss of 36,000 jobs. Continued hiring of temporary workers—up 48,000 in February and 284,000 cumulatively over the past five months—is a reliable sign that businesses are still wary about adding permanent employees.

An index that measures the breadth of hiring among private industries is nearing a turning point that could signal consistent job gains...47,500: The number of temporary jobs added in February.

Major lenders have relied on outsourcing and temporary workers to deal with fluctuating loan demand. According to the BLS, temporary help services employment has risen by 284,000 since September 2009.

A growing number of businesses are converting temporary workers to permanent hires, heralding a warming job market.

More temporary workers are being asked to stay at companies.

Robert A. Funk, founder, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals, was inducted into the International Franchise Association's Hall of Fame during the group's 50th annual convention.

Employers worried about the economy's strength try to meet uptick in demand by adding temporary employees.

This transcript includes a segment about temporary employment. The correspondent recommends that job seekers use the American Staffing Association's Web site to find contact information for local staffing firms.

The Labor Department's closely watched employment report, released Friday, suggests the nation's unemployment rate, which peaked at 10.1% in October, has hit a plateau as employers gain confidence in the economic recovery. One encouraging sign was growth in the temporary help services sector, which added 47,500 jobs and has added 284,000 since September 2009, a sign employers need workers and may eventually add permanent positions.

The temporary staffing industry can serve as a kind of groundhog for the economy. When staffing companies see business rise, it can be that a better economic climate is nigh.

Friday's better-than-expected jobs report, while cheering stock investors, hasn't taken the threat of a double-dip recession off the table. Staffing industry executives told Reuters after the numbers were released that while the trends were encouraging that workers will be added as the years go on, real job growth is likely even then to be slow and will have only a marginal impact.

Retail stocks rose Friday after the Labor Department reported smaller-than-expected job losses for February while the U.S. unemployment rate held steady. See video for Tig Gilliam interview.

This blog post discusses Friday's BLS report and cites ASA Staffing Index.

The temporary help sector continued to add jobs in February, a potential sign of an imminent recovery in hiring, but the pace of growth is not yet strong enough to eliminate the possibility of a double-dip recession.

Several forces, including the recent surges in temporary work, suggest a powerful turn toward job growth could soon be at hand.

According to a new survey conducted by a staffing firm, the legal profession will be hiring more workers than any other in the second quarter.