Most temporary staffing segments showed modest growth in December, but there was a decelerating/downward trend in a number of annual metrics, according to the “US Staffing Industry Pulse Survey Report” released this week by Staffing Industry Analysts.

Temporary staffing revenue was up a median 11% year over year in December, according to the report, which surveyed 168 staffing firms. However, on an aggregate basis, temporary staffing revenue was down 8%.

Locum tenens revenue was a bright spot, with revenue in the segment up 47% year over year at the median. Travel nursing was up 7% at the median, while per diem nursing was up 13% at the median.

IT temporary staffing revenue was up 9% at the median, while industrial staffing was up 1%. The only segment showing a decline at the median was legal staffing, down 1%.

The report includes selected highlights from the Pulse survey and is available to corporate members of SIA; companies that took part in the survey are able to access the full 31-page Pulse report. It contains insights on trends in revenue, bill rates, orders, gross margins and recruiting/sales difficulty as well as a six-month outlook for each staffing skill segment.

For information on participating in the next survey, contact SIA Senior Research Analyst Curtis Starkey at cstarkey@staffingindustry.com.