Temporary and contract worker employment rose 1.84 percent during the week of April 9 through 15, vaulting the American Staffing Association's Staffing Index up to a value of 91.
The Index was at a value of 89 in March, and since the beginning of 2012, temp and contract employment has increased 22 percent. In April specifically, staffing employment is up 6.9 percent.
This bodes well for the economy, as ASA research has found that staffing employment is "a coincident economic indicator and leading employment indicator."
The Index, which is reported nine days after each work week, acts as a "virtual real-time measure" of staffing employment trends.
The ASA's website notes that typically, staffing employment peaks between mid-November and mid-December and then drastically declines in the new year, before recovering in mid-to-late January. In 2011, the week before Christmas displayed "greater strength than usual" compared to the same time period in previous years, although it dipped 18 points in the weeks from Christmas on past New Year's Day.
However, the Index is currently 16 points higher than it was 15 weeks ago.
