Staffing industry employment rose 0.8% in the first quarter of 2010 from the first quarter of 2009 - the first such improvement after nine quarters of year-over-year declines, according to the American Staffing Association's quarterly staffing employment survey released today.

An average of 2.0 million temporary and contract workers were employed per day in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2010, according to the ASA.

"Staffing employment started to grow last July as the economy began to recover from the recession," ASA President and CEO Richard Wahlquist said. "But the staffing industry took such a massive blow early last year -- demand dropped 30% -- that it has taken months of improving conditions to show up in year-to-year comparables."