Information technology and healthcare staffing firms rank as top acquisition targets, according to a study of the 2012 Staffing Acquirers Shopping list by Staffing Industry Analysts. The list includes 162 staffing firms that reported interest in acquiring other firms.

Of the 162 firms, 85 reported one of their top preferences for an acquisition would be an IT staffing provider. In addition, 83 reported one of their top preferences was a healthcare staffing provider.

Industrial staffing was the third-most cited preference with 65 firms preferring an acquisition in that space.

Staffing Industry Analysts has published acquirers lists in previous years, but this year’s list of 162 firms is roughly double the number of firms that appeared on last year’s list.

“The sharp increase in participation in this year’s staffing firm acquirers list is evidence of bullish sentiment across industry, as staffing firms look to expand their operations to take advantage of strong demand for staffing services even in the context of a weak economy,” said Research Analyst Timothy Landhuis. “This increased appetite for acquisitions is consistent with the upward secular shift in demand that we have observed in the staffing industry, where overall industry revenue is expected to grow 10 percent in 2012 by our projections.”

The acquirers list is intended to help staffing firm acquirers and sellers discover common interests. It is not intended to substitute for expert advice in the actual process of buying or selling a staffing firm.

Corporate members of Staffing Industry Analysts can download the complete list by clicking here.