US staffing companies employed an average of 3.1 million temporary and contract workers per week in the first quarter, according to data released today by the American Staffing Association. This is the highest number for any first quarter since reporting for the ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey began in 1992.

Staffing employment rose 1.2% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, marking the largest year-over-year growth since 2015.

Sequentially, staffing employment and sales typically peak in the fourth quarter, decline in the first quarter, and grow in subsequent quarters. That seasonal pattern held, with staffing employment contracting by 7.0% from the fourth quarter.

“Staffing employment continues to grow as the demand for qualified talent increases, creating employment opportunities across most sectors,” said ASA president and CEO Richard Wahlquist. “Job seekers are turning to staffing agencies in this robust hiring market to pinpoint short-term and long-term employment opportunities that best match their skills sets and career goals.”

The ASA staffing employment and sales survey is conducted on a quarterly basis, covering approximately 10,000 establishments.

Also today, the ASA reported that Kelly McCreight, president and CEO of staffing firm Hamilton-Ryker, testified on the skills gap before the US House of Representatives’ Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth. McCreight said his Nashville-based firm was using virtual reality to help train his workforce. For example, Hamilton-Ryker is using virtual reality to train forklift drivers for a manufacturing client in Tupelo, Miss.

McCreight also said Hamilton-Ryker has also “instituted ‘soft skill’ orientations [for temporary employees] that address issues like conflict resolution, workplace violence, and even basic workplace practices such as on-time arrival to work, call-in procedures, and how to deal with differing workplace cultures,” the ASA reported.