US Staffing Hours Impacted By Washington’s Birthday Holiday
| Week ending Feb 24, 2024 | Indexed Value | Y/Y | W/W |
| US Staffing | 85 | -13% | -1.8% |
| Commercial Staffing | 71 | -14% | -0.9% |
| Professional Staffing | 121 | -10% | -5.1% |
Introduction
Released weekly, the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator comprises two sets of analyses; a Year-over-Year comparison showing how the week that ended ten days ago (“last week measured”) compares to the same week 12 months previously and an indexed value that has been benchmarked against data from the week ending January 13th, 2019.
Year-over-year changes for the week ending February 24th
Temporary staffing hours worked for the week ending February 24th (“last week measured”) were down -13% compared to the corresponding week a year ago, according to the Indicator.
Temporary staffing hours completed in commercial occupations (industrial and office/clerical) were down -14% year-over-year.
Temporary staffing hours worked in professional occupations (IT, healthcare, finance, engineering, etc.) were down -10% year-over-year.
On a week-over-week sequential basis, temporary staffing hours worked were down -1.8%, partly impacted by Washington’s Birthday Holiday related closures. Commercial temporary staffing hours were down -0.9% while professional temporary staffing hours were down -5.1%.
Year-over-year change in US staffing, professional staffing, and commercial staffing
Commentary for the week ending February 24th
The Professional Staffing indexed value was 121 for the week ending February 24th, following readings of 127 and 128 in the prior two weeks (ending February 17th and February 10th, respectively.)
The Commercial Staffing indexed value was 71 for the same week, following values of 72 and 72 in the prior two weeks.
The US Staffing indexed value, weighted to reflect the US staffing industry mix of professional and commercial jobs, was 85 for the week ending February 24th, following readings of 86 and 87 in the prior two weeks, as shown in the graph below.
Values for US staffing, professional staffing, and commercial staffing
Staffing Industry Analysts’ Perspective
Hours worked in the US staffing industry in the week ending February 24th decreased by -13% year-over-year. Commercial staffing hours were down -14% while Professional staffing hours were down -10%. We note that anecdotal reports of winter storm disruptions have contributed to some degree to the slow start that staffing is having this year.
The sequential declines in Indicator values can be partly explained by the business closures on February 19th related to the Washington’s Birthday/Presidents Day Holiday. However, the Indicator values had also been slightly down the week prior to the holiday. The extent to which the Indicator values pick-up again in the following weeks will be a good indication for the momentum in the second half of this first quarter.
The year-over-year decline in the Indicator is directionally in line with the decline in temporary help employment as reported in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Employment Situation reports. The February 2024 US Jobs Report (published on February 2nd) estimates that employment in the temporary help services industry fell by -7% in January 2024, on a Y/Y basis; and stable sequentially (+0.1%). The latest data, along with the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator, suggest continued weakness in the industry despite strength in the overall economy.
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. For more discussion of the market dynamics for each skill segment of staffing, SIA Corporate Members are encouraged to read our latest US Staffing Industry Forecast report, published on September 12th.
About the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator
The SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator is a unique tool for gauging near real time weekly trends in the volume of temporary staffing delivered by US staffing firms. Each week the Indicator reports data for the week that ended ten days prior to the release. It reflects weekly hours worked by temporary workers across a sample of staffing companies in the US that utilize Bullhorn’s technology solutions. The Indicator is weighted and benchmarked against US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to approximate the composition of the staffing industry by skill. While the indicator does not presume to perfectly reflect the entire universe of US staffing firms, it does represent a sizable sample of the US staffing industry, reflecting a wide range of occupations, client industry verticals, and geographic footprint that spans the country.
The Indicator can be used by staffing firms to benchmark their past and current performance, as well as a tool for forecasting near term industry trends and outlook.
As the US temporary staffing industry has often functioned as a co-incident indicator for the US labor market and economy, the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator is also useful for a broader audience of business leaders and investors who are seeking real-time insight.
The Indicator is a joint custom research effort between Bullhorn and industry advisor Staffing Industry Analysts.
Revisions and Technical notes on the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator
We note the readings for the last 4 weeks are subject to revision and so should be viewed as preliminary, with the reading for the last recorded week the most likely to be revised in next week’s data release. For further information on how the Indicator has been created and detailed technical notes please refer to the methodology.
Underlying data for the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator can be downloaded using the below link:
SIA_Bullhorn_Indicator_20240305.xlsx 107.13 kB