Travel nursing was one of two staffing segments showing revenue growth in July, according to the August edition of SIA’s “US Staffing Industry Pulse Survey Report.”

Among the 39 travel nurse staffing firms taking part in the Pulse Survey, the median response for year-over-year revenue growth in July was 5%. Life sciences was the other sector reporting growth, up 3%.

Still, year-over-year revenue growth in travel nursing was down compared to June’s survey, where it grew 14%. 

Several publicly traded staffing firms have also reported growth in travel nurse staffing revenue. AMN Healthcare Services Inc. (NYSE: AMN) noted travel nurse revenue was up 35% on an organic basis in the second quarter. Cross Country Healthcare Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN) reported in a conference call with analysts on Aug. 5 that there was a 5% increase in the number of professionals on assignment since the start of the quarter.

Others are also seeing growth.

On the ground, Aya Healthcare’s April Hansen, executive VP of workforce solutions and clinical services, said the company is seeing a significant rise in demand, especially for critical care and med/surg telemetry technicians.

Hansen also noted that demand was high in specific geographic areas at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic; now, it’s more spread out with rural areas affected as well as metros. Also, hospitals are busy handling the increased workload that typically comes in the summer months; they have also allowed back elective surgeries, making for a busier situation.

“We’re seeing really the return of travel nursing demand as it was with the Covid demand on top of it,” she said.

Flu season is also expected to start soon, which will bring with it unknowns as it takes place along with the ongoing pandemic.

SIA’s Pulse survey took place earlier this month and included 173 staffing companies. Overall, firms reported a median 10% year-over-year decline in temporary staffing revenue in July. That compares to a 19% decline reported in June.

Selected highlights of the survey are available to corporate members of SIA, including average sales difficulty. Full results are available to firms that take part in the survey. For information on taking part in the next survey, contact SIA Research Analyst Curtis Starkey at cstarkey@staffingindustry.com.