U.S. staffing companies created 401,000 jobs in 2010, the largest annual growth posted since the high of 428,000 set in 1994, the American Staffing Association announced today.

U.S. staffing firms deployed an average of 2.6 million workers per average business day in 2010. That’s 18.4 percent more than in 2009.

In the first quarter of 2011, average daily employment from U.S. staffing firms was 2.6 million, 14.3 percent more than in the same period of the previous year.

“Staffing employment reflects the economy,” said ASA President and CEO Richard Wahlquist. “As the economy emerged from the recession, businesses turned to flexible staffing solutions to meet increases in demand for their products and services. Even with economic growth slowing in the second quarter of this year, staffing companies continue to offer untapped employment opportunities for job seekers. Businesses have been increasingly interested in temporary-to-permanent placements.”