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Staffing Index Indicates Slight Decline

The American Staffing Association (ASA) Index decreased modestly from September to October, suggesting a moderate decline in temporary and contract employment during the period. The index moved from 97 the week of Sept. 8–14 to 94 the week of Oct. 13–19. Index weeks containing the 12th are compared monthly to match the reference periods used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its monthly employment situation reports, which contain data on the temporary help industry. Because the same reference period is used in both the ASA Staffing Index and BLS monthly reports, the two data series can be easily compared. The index showed minimal movement over the course of the month when individual weeks are considered. Until now, the index has fluctuated between 95 and 98 since the week of July 7, 2008. The increase in demand for temporary and contract employees that typically occurs throughout the calendar year has not been seen in 2008. Despite soft demand overall, ASA members continue to anecdotally report client interest in higher skilled workers. The baseline value for the ASA Staffing Index was set at 100 in June 2006. Data for the index are gathered by ASA corporate partner Inavero Institute for Service Research, a market research firm.