Temporary Help Employment Surges 

Mountain View, California — October 10, 2016 — A total of 156,000 jobs were added to the US economy in September, according to seasonally adjusted data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, down slightly from August (+167,000) but nonetheless solid. Temporary help services exhibited its strongest growth so far this year, adding 23,200 jobs.

The job sectors leading the overall growth this month were Professional Services (excluding temporary help, +43,800), Construction (+23,000), Retail Trade (+22,000) and Healthcare & Social Assistance (+21,800). Year-on-year total nonfarm employment rose 1.7%. Manufacturing (-13,000), Government (-11,000) and Transportation & Warehousing (-9,000) posted job losses this month.

With an appreciable gain of 23,200 jobs, temporary help services employment was up by .79% in September. The temporary penetration rate rose to 2.03%, its highest level since December 2015. Year-on-year temporary help employment was up 1.9%, with monthly job gains averaging 4,500 over the past 12 months. Revisions to the temporary services sector for July, from +12,500 to +15,800, and for August, from -3,100 to -1,000, augmented previously reported gains by 5,400 jobs.

Click image to enlarge.

“The growth this month in total nonfarm jobs provides another indication that the labor market has stabilized,” said Barry Asin, President of Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA). “Moreover, the reacceleration in temporary help services employment is a positive sign for the staffing industry and the overall job market for the remainder of 2016."

The unemployment rate was up 4 basis points to 4.96%, and labor force participation rate also rose slightly to 62.9%.

SIA’s full October Jobs Report analysis is available here.

About Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)

SIA is the Global Advisor on Staffing and Workforce Solutions
Elevating the Workforce Solutions Ecosystem
Founded in 1989, SIA is the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions. Our proprietary research covers all categories of employed and non-employed work including temporary staffing, independent contracting and other types of contingent labor. SIA’s independent and objective analysis provides insights into the services and suppliers operating in the workforce solutions ecosystem including staffing firms, managed service providers, recruitment process outsourcers, payrolling/compliance firms and talent acquisition technology specialists such as vendor management systems, online staffing platforms, crowdsourcing and online work services. We also provide training and accreditation with our unique Certified Contingent Workforce Professional (CCWP) program.

Known for our award-winning content, data, support tools, publications, executive conferences and events, we help both suppliers and buyers of workforce solutions make better-informed decisions that improve business results and minimize risk. As a division of the international business media company, Crain Communications Inc., SIA is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in London, England.

Media Contact
Jennifer Arcuni, Communications Director, Staffing Industry Analysts
jarcuni@staffingindustry.com, +1 650-390-6171 |  www.staffingindustry.com