Temporary help firms continued to add jobs in April, according to the most recent employment data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Temporary help services employment rose by 26,200 additional jobs (2.0%), seasonally adjusted, from March to April.

BLS commissioner Keith Hall, in his statement to Congress, noted that temporary help services led job growth in the professional and business services sector and has added 330,000 new jobs since September. The U.S. staffing industry has created more new private sector jobs than any other.

"We are very encouraged about the strengthening of overall job growth," says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. "But businesses remain cautious about adding too many permanent workers too soon. A growing number are turning to staffing firms for flexible work force solutions as the economy continues to recover. This is good news, because it means more jobs for American workers."

By Steven P. Berchem, CSP, Vice President 
American Staffing Association

There's a reason why the U.S. staffing industry has been growing faster than the overall economy: flexibility. Workers want it. Businesses need it. Staffing firms provide it.

The Fundamental Value Provided by Staffing Firms

HR professionals, and others who make organizational staffing decisions, benefit from the flexibility that staffing firms provide. This flexibility manifests itself in many ways.

For routine needs, staffing firms can deliver workers for daily, seasonal, or cyclical assignments in a timely manner. This approach to staffing is inherently more efficient than the traditional approach-advertising a position, wading through stacks of résumés, running background checks (if necessary), and then having to wait two weeks or more for new hires to start. Not only can staffing firms help HR professionals fill positions with qualified candidates fast, HR professionals don't have to worry about the cumbersome process of setting up payroll and benefits for new workers, and assignments can be terminated at any time.

In fact, without the services of staffing firms, it would be nearly impossible for many organizations to staff up for short-term projects or find temporary replacements for employees who are sick or on vacation. The red tape alone would make it extremely difficult, and access to a ready pool of workers would be a continual challenge.

Looking at Staffing Strategically

The staffing industry's unique access to a wide range of workers is one of the essential benefits it offers clients. By working with staffing firms, HR professionals can quickly find individuals with specific skill sets or hard-to-find work experience. Those individuals can be brought on board for a brief period or they can be hired permanently. This flexibility enables HR to serve an organization in a strategic manner. HR can respond quickly to changing business needs without burdening a company with excessive head count or unnecessary legal exposure. This type of staffing agility is used as a competitive advantage by smart companies.