The “temporary help services” industry added 14,100 jobs in July, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Revised numbers for June show that the temp help industry added 21,100 jobs that month instead of the 25,200 gain initially reported by the bureau.

Overall, temporary help employment totaled approximately 2.54 million in July, representing an increase of 242,500 jobs, or a gain of 9.6 percent, on a year-over-year basis.

The percent of temporary employment to total employment — the temporary help penetration rate — ticked upward to 1.91 percent from 1.90 percent in June.

However, employment rose by just 21,800 jobs during July in the “employment services” industry — which includes temporary employment as well as employment placement agencies, executive search services and professional employer organizations — for total employment of approximately 3.21 million.

Total nonfarm jobs in the U.S. rose by 163,000 in July to more than 133.2 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers from the bureau. The U.S. unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 8.3 percent in July from June. The seasonally adjusted college-level unemployment rate, which can serve as a proxy for professional employment, was unchanged at 4.1 percent in July from June.

“After a string of disappointing economic data releases, the 163,000 gain in July payrolls offers some hopeful news,” Kathy Bostjancic, director of macroeconomic analysis at The Conference Board, said in a statement.

“While the monthly gain is still relatively small by historical standards, it might help spark somewhat higher consumer optimism and spending,” Bostjancic said. “This, in turn, could lift growth moderately higher in Q3, from the moribund 1.5-percent pace recorded in Q2.”

Private sector jobs rose by 172,000 jobs in July, according to the BLS. However, the government sector shed 9,000 jobs in July, with most of the losses at the state and federal levels.