America's staffing companies employed an average 2.8 million temporary and contract workers per day in the second quarter, down 6.5% from the same period last year, according to the American Staffing Association's quarterly employment and sales survey.

It was the third consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines.

"As American businesses have cut jobs and reduced hiring, staffing employment has been directly affected, even more so in the last quarter, but we have not seen anything like the precipitous drop characteristic of previous recessions," said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and CEO.