Staffing Industry Statistics 2025β2026: Market Size, Employment & Workforce Trends
Discover key staffing industry statistics for 2025-2026, including market size, employment rates, and emerging workforce trends that shape the future.
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Try AI invoiceThe US staffing industry is a nearly $200 billion sector that connects more than 11 million Americans with employment each year across temporary, contract, direct-hire, and outsourced workforce arrangements. The staffing industry statistics for 2025β2026 tell a story of an industry stabilizing after a post-pandemic contraction, with AI adoption accelerating sharply among leading firms and healthcare staffing emerging as the fastest-growing vertical. For staffing agency owners, HR professionals, corporate workforce planners, and researchers, these staffing industry statistics provide the essential benchmarks across market size, employment, hiring costs, technology adoption, and sector performance.
Key Takeaways
- The US staffing industry generated approximately $184 billion in revenue in 2024, the largest staffing market in the world
- US staffing companies employed an average of 2 million temporary and contract workers per week in Q4 2025
- During 2023, staffing companies hired 12.7 million temporary and contract employees over the course of the year
- The healthcare staffing market was $45.48 billion in 2025, projected to reach $89.71 billion by 2033
- 75% of staffing firms are using AI in some capacity
- AI tools reduce cost-per-hire by up to 30% and accelerate candidate screening by 75%
- The average cost per hire is $4,683, with unfilled positions costing $98 per day
- ASA Staffing Index grew 5.3% year-over-year in April 2026
1. Staffing Industry Statistics: Market Size & Revenue
The staffing industry statistics on market scale confirm the US as the dominant global market, with Japan and the UK ranking second and third but still well behind the American market.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US staffing industry revenue, 2024 | $184 billion | Staffing Industry Analysts |
| US staffing market entering 2025 | $198.7 billion | Workwell Global |
| US staffing market projected 2026 | $180.2β$183.3 billion | SIA |
| US staffing market projected cumulative growth 2025β2030 | +10% | SIA |
| US staffing Q3 2025 sales | $28.1 billion (β8.5% YoY) | ASA |
| US staffing Q4 2025 sales | $29.9 billion (+2.6% from Q3) | ASA |
| Number of US staffing and recruiting companies | ~26,000 | American Staffing Association |
| Total US staffing company offices | ~49,000 | American Staffing Association |
| Companies in temp/contract staffing sector | 57% | American Staffing Association |
| Global staffing market rank: Japan | $67.9 billion (2024, #2) | Staffing Industry Analysts |
| Global staffing market rank: UK | $50.8 billion (2024, #3) | Staffing Industry Analysts |
The staffing industry statistics on 2025 revenue reflect a market undergoing a recalibration after the 2021β2022 surge driven by acute post-pandemic labor shortages. Q4 2025 staffing sales of $29.9 billion β up 2.6% from Q3 2025 β signal a return to growth momentum. The US market's 10% cumulative growth forecast through 2030 is modest by historical standards, but represents steady expansion from a large base. For staffing agencies managing client relationships and payroll cycles, consistent and timely invoicing is foundational to that growth. Clear invoice payment terms β typically net-15 for staffing clients β prevent the billing delays that can turn profitable placements into cash flow problems.
2. Staffing Industry Employment Statistics
The staffing industry statistics on employment from the American Staffing Association provide the most authoritative picture of temporary and contract workforce scale, composition, and behavior.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employees hired through staffing companies per year (2024) | ~11 million | American Staffing Association |
| Temp/contract employees hired over course of 2023 | 12.7 million | American Staffing Association |
| Average temp/contract workers per week (2024) | 2.2 million | American Staffing Association |
| Average temp/contract workers per week (Q4 2025) | 2 million | ASA Q4 2025 Survey |
| Staffing employees working full time | 73% | American Staffing Association |
| Working temp/contract to fill gap between jobs | 64% | American Staffing Association |
| Working temp/contract for schedule flexibility | 20% | American Staffing Association |
| Average temp/contract employee assignment tenure | 9β10 weeks | altLINE |
| Staffing industry annual turnover rate, 2025 | 376% | ASA |
| Staffing industry annual turnover rate, 2024 | 416% | ASA |
The staffing industry statistics on occupational distribution (from ASA) show the sector's breadth: 36% industrial, 24% office/clerical and administrative, 21% professional/managerial, 11% engineering/IT/scientific, and 8% healthcare. The 376% annual turnover rate β while striking β reflects the nature of short-duration temporary assignments rather than involuntary separations, and it improved from 416% in 2024. The YoY decline in Q4 2025 employment (β6.1%) narrowed from β7.5% in Q3 2025, suggesting the year-over-year comparisons are improving toward positive territory heading into 2026.
3. Staffing Sector Statistics: Healthcare & IT Staffing
The staffing industry statistics broken out by vertical highlight healthcare and IT as the two dominant high-growth segments, with healthcare staffing in particular showing exceptional growth projections.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US healthcare staffing market size, 2025 | $45.48 billion | Grand View Research |
| US healthcare staffing market projected, 2033 | $89.71 billion | Grand View Research |
| Healthcare staffing CAGR, 2026β2033 | 6.98% | Grand View Research |
| Healthcare facilities using locum tenens providers | 88% | AMN Healthcare via altLINE |
| Healthcare clinicians considering leaving role within 2β3 years | 50% | Elsevier via altLINE |
| US nurses considering leaving healthcare near-term | 25% | Elsevier via altLINE |
| Travel nurse staffing share of healthcare staffing market | 39.6% | Grand View Research via altLINE |
| Healthcare employment growth projected 2021β2031 | 13% | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Global IT staffing market, 2025 | $123.30 billion | Mordor Intelligence |
| IT staffing market projected, 2026 | $127.75 billion | Mordor Intelligence |
| IT staffing CAGR (2026β2031) | 3.61% | Mordor Intelligence |
| 2026 growth forecast by vertical: life sciences | +5% | SIA |
| 2026 growth forecast by vertical: engineering | +3% | SIA |
The staffing industry statistics on healthcare confirm a sector under enormous structural pressure from attrition. With 50% of healthcare clinicians considering leaving their role and 25% of nurses considering leaving the profession altogether, healthcare facility operators are increasingly turning to staffing agencies to fill permanent-to-temporary coverage gaps. This dynamic is what makes the 6.98% CAGR forecast for healthcare staffing to 2033 credible β it's demand-driven and tied to a labor shortage that will not resolve quickly. For staffing agencies billing multiple healthcare facility clients simultaneously, multi-client invoicing tools that handle high weekly billing volume are essential.
4. Staffing Industry Hiring Cost & Process Statistics
The staffing industry statistics on hiring costs give both staffing agencies and their corporate clients the benchmarks needed to quantify the value of efficient workforce placement.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average cost per hire | $4,683 | SHRM via altLINE |
| Average cost per hire: executive roles (vs. average) | 505% more expensive | SHRM via altLINE |
| Average vacancy cost per open position per day | $98 | Johnson Group via altLINE |
| Average time to fill a position | 36β42 days | Zippia via altLINE |
| Median time to hire: engineering roles | 49 days | LinkedIn via altLINE |
| Median time to hire: customer service roles | 34 days | LinkedIn via altLINE |
| Time for new employee to be fully productive | 12 weeks (average) | Zippia via altLINE |
| Temporary roles filled in | ~6 days | MyShortlister |
| Contract roles filled in | ~8 days | MyShortlister |
| Permanent placements filled in | ~32 days | MyShortlister |
| Employers expecting roles filled within 48 hours (manufacturing/logistics) | 61% | MyShortlister |
| Employers planning to increase contract professional use (2024) | 64% | Robert Half via altLINE |
The staffing industry statistics on hiring speed underscore the value that staffing agencies provide: temporary roles placed in 6 days vs. 36β42 days to fill positions through direct hiring, at a fraction of the $4,683 average cost per hire. With daily vacancy costs running $98 per unfilled position, a 10-day speedup in placement represents $980 in recovered productivity per role β a powerful commercial argument for using staffing partners. For agencies themselves, AI-driven invoicing that automatically generates invoices as placements are confirmed is the operational equivalent of fast placement speed β it eliminates the billing lag that often trails the placement cycle by days or weeks.
5. Staffing Industry AI & Technology Statistics
The staffing industry statistics on technology adoption reveal one of the fastest AI adoption curves of any professional services industry, driven by the high-volume, time-sensitive nature of candidate matching.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing firms using AI in some capacity | 75% | Sense via altLINE |
| Global staffing firms increasing AI/automation use in 2025 | 85% | Demand Sage |
| Recruiters who have implemented AI | 65%+ | Demand Sage |
| Cost-per-hire reduction from AI tools | Up to 30% | Demand Sage |
| Candidate screening speed improvement with AI | 75% faster | Demand Sage |
| Placement rate improvement with AI | +23% | Demand Sage |
| AI use across HR tasks, 2026 | 43% | Demand Sage |
| AI use across HR tasks, 2024 | 26% | Demand Sage |
| Staffing firms in early digital transformation stages | 48% | Bullhorn via altLINE |
| Top automated staffing process: payroll and billing | 42% | Bullhorn via altLINE |
| Top automated staffing process: candidate sourcing | 42% | Bullhorn via altLINE |
| Companies using talent acquisition software | 73% | Zippia via altLINE |
| AI recruitment market size, 2025 | $704.54 million | Demand Sage |
| AI recruitment market projected, 2032 | $1.12 billion | Demand Sage |
| US job seekers who believe AI hiring tools are more biased than humans | 49% | ASA Workforce Monitor |
The staffing industry statistics on AI reveal a striking acceleration: AI usage across HR tasks jumped from 26% in 2024 to 43% in 2026 β nearly doubling in two years. The performance case is clear: 75% faster screening, 30% lower cost-per-hire, and 23% higher placement rates. Yet 49% of US job seekers believe AI hiring tools are more biased than humans, representing a candidate trust gap that agencies will need to address as AI adoption deepens. Payroll and billing automation β adopted by 42% of firms β is one of the highest-return applications, eliminating manual invoice generation for recurring weekly staffing cycles. Using an AI invoice generator to automate client billing as soon as placement hours are logged reduces administrative costs that otherwise eat into staffing margins.
6. Staffing Industry Workforce & Labor Market Statistics
The staffing industry statistics on labor market conditions reveal the supply-side constraints that continue to define the environment in which all staffing agencies operate.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Staffing agency Staffing Index YoY growth (April 2026) | +5.3% | ASA Staffing Index |
| Top challenge for recruiting firms: tight talent pools | 56% | Bullhorn via altLINE |
| Employers reporting difficulty finding candidates with right skills | 74% globally | Demand Sage |
| Recruiters reporting decline in job board effectiveness | 52% | Sense via altLINE |
| Employees on full remote or hybrid schedule | 60% | Robert Half via altLINE |
| Employees who want to work in office 3 days or fewer | 63% | Robert Half via altLINE |
| Employers willing to pay more for in-office attendance | 66% | Robert Half via altLINE |
| Adults preferring in-person job interviews (despite remote trend) | 70% | ASA via altLINE |
| Gen Z looking for ways to supplement income | 72% | ASA via altLINE |
| Employed adults expecting annual pay increase | 89% | CareerBuilder via altLINE |
| Managers reporting improved retention with remote/hybrid teams | 48% | Robert Half via altLINE |
The staffing industry statistics on labor market conditions document a workforce that has structurally reconfigured since 2020. The 60% remote/hybrid workforce, Gen Z's strong preference for supplementary gig income (72%), and the persistent talent scarcity (74% of global employers struggling to find right-skilled candidates) all create favorable conditions for staffing agencies that can access and match talent more efficiently than corporate HR teams. The ASA Staffing Index growing 5.3% YoY in April 2026 β the most recent available data point β suggests the sector has turned the corner from the post-pandemic slowdown and is re-entering a growth phase.
Summary: Staffing Industry Statistics at a Glance
| Category | Key Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Market size | US staffing industry revenue (2024) | $184 billion |
| Market size | US staffing market entering 2025 | $198.7 billion |
| Market size | US staffing companies in operation | ~26,000 |
| Employment | Temp/contract employees per week (Q4 2025) | 2 million |
| Employment | Total annual employment through staffing (2024) | ~11 million |
| Employment | Average assignment tenure | 9β10 weeks |
| Sector | Healthcare staffing market (2025) | $45.48 billion |
| Sector | Healthcare staffing market projected (2033) | $89.71 billion |
| Sector | IT staffing market (2025, global) | $123.30 billion |
| Hiring costs | Average cost per hire | $4,683 |
| Hiring costs | Daily vacancy cost per open position | $98 |
| Hiring speed | Time to fill: temporary role | ~6 days |
| Hiring speed | Time to fill: permanent role | 32β42 days |
| Technology | Staffing firms using AI | 75% |
| Technology | Cost-per-hire reduction from AI | β30% |
| Labor market | ASA Staffing Index YoY growth (April 2026) | +5.3% |
LSI & Related Search Terms Covered in This Article
The following related and semantically co-ranking keywords for "staffing industry statistics" are addressed throughout this article:
- temporary staffing statistics
- staffing agency statistics
- healthcare staffing statistics
- IT staffing statistics
- recruitment industry statistics
- temp agency statistics
- staffing industry market size
- staffing industry trends 2025
- contract staffing statistics
- staffing industry AI statistics
- hiring cost statistics
- workforce staffing statistics
Methodology & Sources
Staffing industry statistics in this article were sourced from the American Staffing Association (ASA), Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), Grand View Research, Mordor Intelligence, Bullhorn, Robert Half, Demand Sage, and altLINE. US market size estimates vary by source (SIA uses revenue-recognition methodology; some broader estimates include recruitment placement fees). ASA employment data is drawn from its quarterly Staffing Employment and Sales Survey. All citations link to original sources.
Primary sources:
- American Staffing Association β Staffing Industry Statistics
- ASA β Staffing Employment and Sales Q4 2025
- ASA β Staffing Employment Q3 2025
- ASA β Staffing Index April 2026
- ASA β Workforce Monitor: AI in Hiring
- Staffing Industry Analysts β US Staffing Revenue Forecast
- SIA β US Staffing Cumulative Growth 2025β2030
- Grand View Research β US Healthcare Staffing Market
- Mordor Intelligence β IT Staffing Market
- altLINE β 70+ Staffing Statistics & Industry Trends 2025
- Demand Sage β AI Recruitment Statistics 2026
- Workwell Global β Global Staffing Industry Trends 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics β Healthcare Employment Outlook
- MyShortlister β Staffing Industry Statistics 2025
Data compiled June 2026. Statistics reflect the most recent available figures at time of publication.
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