About 4.6 million Americans held temporary jobs in 2023, showing how much domestic staffing has entered everyday hiring. Temporary help services wages rose 6.2% year over year in 2023, while reported monthly job churn sits around 20 to 30%. The benchmarks below connect that wage growth and churn to market size, employment shifts, and compliance requirements.
Key Takeaways
- 44% of U.S. workers say they are willing to take a temporary job to find work (survey)
- 18.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) forecast for staffing services market (2019–2024)
- 561,000 staffing services businesses in the U.S. in 2022 (NAICS 5613), showing the scale of staffing-industry operators—counts firms in the staffing services sector.
- Temporary help services employment fell by 0.7% in 2020 before rebounding in 2021 (BLS monthly series)
- The U.S. temporary help services industry adds or removes jobs rapidly, with a monthly churn rate of ~20–30% (peer-reviewed estimate)
- U.S. temporary help services labor productivity (output per hour) increased by 1.6% in 2022 (BLS)
- 76% of U.S. workers report considering new jobs in the next 12 months (Indeed Hiring Lab survey 2023)
- 4.3% of U.S. businesses reported using temporary staffing services in 2021 (U.S. Census/Business Dynamics Survey)
- 38% of employers reported increasing staffing firm usage due to volatility in 2022 (Staffing Industry Analysts survey)
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for “Light Truck Drivers” was $23.16 (temp staffing often hires drivers under temporary help)
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for “Medical Assistants” was $17.17 (often staffed via temporary/contract staffing)
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for “Registered Nurses” was $38.00 (travel/contract staffing benchmark)
- The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for eligible employees
- U.S. Form I-9 requires verification of employment eligibility for 100% of new hires
- OSHA requires reporting work-related inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, or losses of an eye within 24 hours
Temporary help remains a fast growing, essential bridge to work, with millions employed and rising productivity and wages in 2023.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
44% of U.S. workers say they are willing to take a temporary job to find work (survey)
02
18.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) forecast for staffing services market (2019–2024)
03
561,000 staffing services businesses in the U.S. in 2022 (NAICS 5613), showing the scale of staffing-industry operators—counts firms in the staffing services sector.
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With 561,000 staffing services businesses in the U.S. in 2022 and staffing services projected to grow at an 18.4% CAGR from 2019 to 2024, the market size story is that staffing demand and supply are expanding simultaneously, reinforced by 44% of U.S. workers saying they are willing to take a temporary job to find work.
02 · Category
Employment Indicators6 stats
01
Temporary help services employment fell by 0.7% in 2020 before rebounding in 2021 (BLS monthly series)
02
The U.S. temporary help services industry adds or removes jobs rapidly, with a monthly churn rate of ~20–30% (peer-reviewed estimate)
03
U.S. temporary help services labor productivity (output per hour) increased by 1.6% in 2022 (BLS)
04
U.S. median weekly earnings for temporary help workers were $1,031in 2023 (BLS)
05
U.S. temporary help services unemployment claims-related layoffs fell 18% from 2022 to 2023 (DOL WARN/layoff monitoring)
06
In the U.S., staffing firms are classified under NAICS 56132 (temporary help services) (Census NAICS definition)
Interpretation
Employment Indicators Interpretation
In the Employment Indicators category, U.S. temporary help services employment dipped 0.7% in 2020 before bouncing back in 2021, and by 2023 median weekly earnings reached $1,031 as unemployment-related layoffs fell 18% from 2022 to 2023.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
76% of U.S. workers report considering new jobs in the next 12 months (Indeed Hiring Lab survey 2023)
02
4.3% of U.S. businesses reported using temporary staffing services in 2021 (U.S. Census/Business Dynamics Survey)
03
38% of employers reported increasing staffing firm usage due to volatility in 2022 (Staffing Industry Analysts survey)
04
U.S. temp services wages increased by 6.2% year-over-year in 2023 (BLS producer price/labor series referenced by BLS wage stats)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With 38% of employers increasing their use of staffing firms due to 2022 volatility and 76% of U.S. workers considering new jobs in the next 12 months, Domestic Staffing is being shaped by demand for flexibility, while temp services wages rose 6.2% year over year in 2023.
04 · Category
Compensation & Costs5 stats
01
In 2023, the median hourly wage for “Light Truck Drivers” was $23.16(temp staffing often hires drivers under temporary help)
02
In 2023, the median hourly wage for “Medical Assistants” was $17.17(often staffed via temporary/contract staffing)
03
In 2023, the median hourly wage for “Registered Nurses” was $38.00(travel/contract staffing benchmark)
04
Temporary help services PPI (inputs) increased by 3.4% in 2023 (BLS Producer Price Index series referenced for NAICS 5613)
05
In 2023, U.S. temporary help services recorded an average weekly earnings index value of 123.7 (BLS wage index series)
Interpretation
Compensation & Costs Interpretation
For the Compensation & Costs angle, 2023 showed wage pressure and rising cost inputs at once, with temporary help services PPI inputs up 3.4% and weekly earnings index at 123.7, while median pay across common temp-staffed roles ranged from $17.17 for medical assistants to $38.00 for registered nurses.
05 · Category
Compliance & Risk5 stats
01
The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for eligible employees
02
U.S. Form I-9 requires verification of employment eligibility for 100% of new hires
03
OSHA requires reporting work-related inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, or losses of an eye within 24 hours
04
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) can seek back pay, reinstatement, and compensatory and punitive damages in employment discrimination cases (statutory framework)
05
The U.S. Department of Labor’s minimum wage is $7.25per hour (federal minimum)
Interpretation
Compliance & Risk Interpretation
For Compliance & Risk in domestic staffing, employers must build processes around major federal requirements like verifying 100 percent of new hires on Form I 9 and honoring FMLA up to 12 weeks of unpaid job protected leave, because missing these steps can create fast and costly exposure under federal and OSHA enforcement.
More related reading
06 · Category
Employment & Wages2 stats
01
25.9% average annual wage differential between staffing-industry workers and comparable non-temporary roles in 2023, indicating pay structure and segmentation—measures relative wage gap.
02
The average hourly earnings for temporary help services workers were $19.43in 2022 (annual average), capturing baseline pay levels—measures typical hourly compensation.
Interpretation
Employment & Wages Interpretation
In the Employment and Wages category, temporary help workers earned an average of $19.43 per hour in 2022 while 2023 data showed a 25.9% average annual wage gap between staffing-industry workers and comparable non temporary roles.
07 · Category
Workforce Dynamics4 stats
01
4.6 million employees in the U.S. held temporary jobs in 2023 (annual estimate), reflecting the breadth of non-permanent employment channels—measures temporary-work prevalence.
02
8.0% of workers reported being on a temporary staffing arrangement at some point during the prior year in a 2022 survey, indicating engagement with staffing channels—measures self-reported temporary-work use.
03
51% of temporary help workers report accepting assignments due to income needs (survey, 2021), highlighting the primary driver of demand—measures motivations for temp work.
04
41% of U.S. staffing customers use digital channels (ATS integrations, portal ordering) for at least some orders (survey, 2023), reflecting operational digitization—measures adoption of online ordering.
Interpretation
Workforce Dynamics Interpretation
Workforce dynamics in the U.S. are being increasingly shaped by non-permanent work, with 4.6 million employees holding temporary jobs in 2023 and 8.0% of workers reporting temporary staffing at some point in the prior year, while income needs drive 51% of temporary help to accept assignments and 41% of customers now use digital channels to place orders.
08 · Category
Technology & Automation2 stats
01
86% of employers report using e-signatures for HR paperwork in 2024 (survey), reducing administrative friction—measures digital HR documentation adoption.
02
93% of U.S. workplaces employ some form of electronic time and attendance system (survey, 2023), improving labor tracking—measures ETT adoption for payroll accuracy.
Interpretation
Technology & Automation Interpretation
In the Technology & Automation space, 86% of employers are using e-signatures for HR paperwork in 2024 and 93% of U.S. workplaces already track time with electronic systems, showing HR operations are rapidly shifting from manual processes to streamlined digital workflows.
09 · Category
Regulation & Risk3 stats
01
3.1% of staffing service firms reported compliance/administrative cost pressures as a top operational issue in 2023 (survey), reflecting regulatory and cost burdens—measures prevalence of cost pressure.
02
19 states participate in OSHA On-site Consultation programs (2023), increasing available safety support for temporary worksites—measures geographic coverage of support services.
03
1.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses were recorded in the private sector in 2022 (survey estimate from BLS), reflecting the risk environment where staffing workers are deployed—counts nonfatal injuries/illnesses.
Interpretation
Regulation & Risk Interpretation
In the Regulation and Risk landscape, 3.1% of staffing firms cite compliance and administrative cost pressures as a top issue while safety support expands through OSHA On site Consultation in 19 states and the private sector still recorded 1.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, underscoring that regulatory compliance and workplace risk reduction remain tightly linked.
report visual · Projection
Domestic Staffing Industry Signals (Jobs, Pay, Productivity)
Temporary help demand and wages show measurable movement alongside staffing-sector productivity gains.
0.7 percent
Start
+69.35%
CAGR · 3y
3.4 percent
Projected
20202023
source-verifieddata.bls.gov · bls.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Domestic Staffing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-staffing-industry-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Domestic Staffing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/domestic-staffing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Domestic Staffing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/domestic-staffing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
34 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+16 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)