The number of workers sent out by employment agencies totaled almost 9 million in 2009, a decline of 6 percent from the previous year, according to the 2011 Economic Report released today by the International Confederation of Private Employment Agencies (Ciett).

Estimated 2009 revenue for the global staffing industry was euro203.0 billion (US$283.1 billion, according to the Ciett report. The number is down 16 percent from 2008.

Ciett's estimate of global spend on workers through employment agencies differs slightly from Staffing Industry Analysts' estimate. Staffing Industry Analysts estimates temporary staffing spend at $269.2 million.

The Ciett report found a total of 72,000 private employment agencies worldwide with 169,000 branches employing 741,000 internal staff in 2009.