Labor market conditions were weak or mixed despite a few encouraging signs, according to the Federal Reserve Beige Book report released Wednesday.

Staffing firms in the Dallas Federal Reserve district reported improvement in contract and temporary employment. However, a large New York employment agency specializing in office workers said hiring softened in recent weeks with almost no hiring in the legal and publishing industries.

In the Richmond VA district, comments from temporary employment agencies were evenly mixed between reports of strengthening and weakening in hiring.

Wage pressure was subdued, according to the Beige Book.