US temporary staffing hours fell 6% year over year in the week ended March 1, according to the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator – March 11, 2025 report. However, on a sequential basis, temporary staffing hours worked were up 2.3% week over week as demand for staffing services increased compared to the Presidents’ Day holiday week.

The year-over-year comparisons appear to be improving slightly, which hints that the downward trends noted since July 2022 could be stabilizing at some point in 2025.

The year-over-year decline is directionally in line with the decline in temporary help employment as reported in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Employment Situation reports; the report’s most recent estimates show that employment in the temporary help services industry declined by 5.8% year over year in February and fell 0.5% when compared with January.

“With most economists projecting continued, solid growth (real GDP growth of 2% or higher) in the US economy in 2025, we continue watching for signs of a durable uptick in demand for temporary staffing,” the report states. “Competitive pressures remain elevated, but there are continuing and large opportunities for those staffing firms that have developed a competitive advantage via either their technology, their service offerings or both.”

SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator