Up 1.2% From a Year Ago, Pace Eases Temporary help employment was little changed from July to August (-0.1%), down 3,100, according to seasonally adjusted data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Staffing employment was 1.2% higher than in August 2015. Over the past 12 months, BLS reported, year-to-year staffing job growth averaged 2.2% per month.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that temporary help employment increased 2.0%, up 58,800 from July to August. Year-to-year, there were 1.1% more staffing employees in August than in the same month last year.

“Businesses report continued tightening of the labor market and supply of qualified candidates across several sectors which is good news for individuals seeking employment,” said Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “The members of the American Staffing Association salute the contributions of all American workers on this Labor Day weekend and pledge to continue to help millions of job seekers each year connect with the kind of employment opportunities they are looking for, always without costs or fees of any kind to applicants.”

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 151,000 jobs in August (seasonally adjusted), BLS reported. Incorporating revisions for June and July, job gains averaged 232,000 per month over the past three months, more than the average of 204,000 for the prior 12 months.

The unemployment rate was 4.9% for the third consecutive month and has shown little movement during the past year.

BLS also released preliminary July employment data for search and placement services, which, seasonally adjusted, decreased 0.1% from June. Search and placement jobs totaled 315,400 in July, 4.8% higher than in the same month last year.

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Source: American Staffing Association