The ASA Staffing Index as an Indicator
Many experts agree—and ASA research confirms—that staffing industry employment serves as a coincident economic indicator and a leading indicator of total U.S. nonfarm employment. The ASA Staffing Index bears watching as a near real-time measure of weekly trends in staffing industry employment and current economic conditions, as well as of future overall employment trends.
ASA releases a monthly report on the index that offers a preview of the nonseasonally adjusted temporary help employment numbers reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its monthly employment situation report (generally issued the first Friday of the month). The ASA Staffing Index monthly report, released more than a week before the BLS employment situation report, compares weeks containing the 12th of each month, making it comparable to the reference period used by BLS.
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ASA Staffing Index Weekly Report:
Jan. 16–Jan. 22, 2012
During the week of Jan. 16–22, 2012, temporary and contract employment dipped by 0.62%, maintaining the ASA Staffing Index at a value of 86. The index is us currently up 14.5% since the beginning of the year and is 3.1% higher year-over-year.
Staffing industry employment the week before Christmas showed greater strength than usual—compared with the same period of previous years as well as the months leading up to the holiday. Typically, staffing employment peaks somewhere between mid-November and mid-December, after which it plummets unfettered for several weeks before turning upward in mid-January.
After falling 18 points during the weeks that included Christmas and New Year's Day, the index recovered 11 points during the week ending Jan. 15, reaching a value of 86, where it has remained for the current survey period.
ASA Staffing Index Monthly Report:
December 2011
Staffing employment in December is 0.8% higher than it was in November, according to the ASA Staffing Index. The index for December is 93, up one point from the 92 reported for November. With the exception of the typical dip experienced during the July 4 holiday period, weekly index data show that staffing employment has been modestly edging upward since February. Comparing the index for December 2011 to December 2010 shows staffing employment unchanged year-to-year (0.0%).
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Participation Information
All U.S. staffing firms are invited to participate in the ASA Staffing Index survey. There are no fees for participation, and the survey takes only a couple of minutes each week to complete. Participants receive three e-mails per week: an invitation sent Thursday night to complete the survey by Monday evening, a Monday morning reminder, and a report on the weekly results (usually sent Tuesday morning).
Survey Details
- The baseline value for the ASA Staffing Index was set at 100 in June 2006.
- Results are reported typically nine days after the close of the work week.
- The methodology mirrors that of the quarterly ASA Staffing Employment and Sales Survey, based on a model developed by Standard and Poor's DRI/McGraw Hill in 1992.
- Data for the index are gathered by ASA research partner Inavero, a market research firm based in Portland, OR. Data are obtained through a secure Web-based questionnaire accessed via a customized invitation e-mail sent to participants.
- Participants receive a weekly e-mail report on the survey results, which includes performance based on company size in four annual sales categories: less than $7.5 million, $7.5–$25 million, $25–$100 million, and more than $100 million.
ASA Staffing Index Mailing List
A weekly Staffing Index report is available via e-mail to economists, journalists, analysts, researchers, policy makers, and other industry observers. Contact Melissa Beattie at mbeattie@americanstaffing.net to be added to the distribution list.
This survey is conducted by ASA research partner Inavero. 
Additional Information
Contact
Alexandra Karaer
Director of Research
703-253-2048
akaraer@americanstaffing.net
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