The average weekly number of temporary and contract workers employed by US staffing companies declined by 1.7% in the third quarter to 2.4 million compared to the second quarter, according to the American Staffing Association’s Staffing Employment and Sales Survey, released today.

ASA noted that the dip reflects an overall slowdown in the job creation pace during much of the past year among employers of all sizes in the face of volatile macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions and forecasts.

On a year-over-year basis, staffing jobs declined 14.1% in the third quarter, while temporary and contract staffing sales decreased 14.5%, amounting to $34.7 billion.

“As always, the staffing, recruiting and talent solutions industry pivots quickly to assist employers with their variable and changing needs for flexible and permanent staff,” Richard Wahlquist, CEO of the ASA, said in a press release. “In contrast to the furious pace of hiring in late 2021 and much of 2022, employers are now settling into a new normal of slow and steady growth. But with 1.3 openings per worker, labor markets remain tight and employers continue to struggle with recruiting workers with the most in-demand skill sets — something we expect to continue for the foreseeable future.”

The ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey is conducted quarterly to gather information on temporary and contract staffing sales, payroll and employment.