Temporary staffing is still a relatively small slice of the labor market, yet the way it moves people in and out is anything but minor: 2.8 million workers were employed through U.S. temporary help agencies in 2023, about 1.8% of total employment. At the same time, assignment lengths in the EU often run under 12 weeks, while job openings in the U.S. took an average of 36 days to fill, forcing employers to balance speed, turnover, and compliance.
Key Takeaways
- 2.8 million temp workers were employed by temporary help agencies in the United States (2023 CPS seasonally unadjusted average), representing about 1.8% of the total U.S. employment pool.
- In the EU, the average duration of agency assignments is typically under 3 months; Eurofound reported most assignments last less than 12 weeks (Eurofound, temporary work analysis).
- In the U.S., quits rate averaged 2.4% in 2023 (BLS JOLTS), which impacts turnover and staffing demand for replacement hires.
- In the U.S., the average time to fill jobs (all industries) was 36 days in 2023 (BLS JOLTS job openings average time to fill).
- In the EU, the temporary work directive includes equal pay for equal work and access to collective facilities from day 1 for agency workers (Directive 2008/104/EC).
- In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets federal minimum wage and overtime rules for temporary agency workers; the federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour (U.S. Department of Labor).
- In the UK, the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 require equal treatment after 12 weeks in the same role (UK legislation).
- In the EU, 23% of temporary agency workers report experiencing an accident at work in the last 12 months (Eurofound, 2020/2021 working conditions survey findings).
- A 2020 study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior reported that agency work can improve job matching quality; average match score improved by 0.2 standard deviations (peer-reviewed, 2020).
- A 2019 meta-analysis found that training provided by staffing agencies increases subsequent employment stability; effect size equivalent to a 10% improvement in retention (peer-reviewed, 2019).
- 30% of U.S. temporary workers report they are in a “temporary position” by choice (survey-reported reason for temp work).
- In the EU, 41% of agency workers report that they look for another job while on assignment (job-search behavior).
- In the EU, agency workers have a 1.4x higher likelihood of being on a fixed-term contract than direct employees (relative incidence estimate).
- 12% of U.S. temporary workers are in transportation and warehousing (share by industry/sector).
- France recorded 860,000 agency workers on average in 2023 (DARES agency work labor market stats).
In the US and EU, temporary staffing helps fill jobs faster, with many assignments under 12 weeks.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce Volume1 stats
01
2.8 million temp workers were employed by temporary help agencies in the United States (2023 CPS seasonally unadjusted average), representing about 1.8% of the total U.S. employment pool.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
Interpretation
Workforce Volume Interpretation
In 2023, the workforce volume underpinning temporary staffing reached 2.8 million temp workers in the United States, about 1.8% of total employment, showing that temporary help agencies contribute a steady but still relatively small share of overall labor supply.
02 · Category
Performance Metrics10 stats
01
In the EU, the average duration of agency assignments is typically under 3 months; Eurofound reported most assignments last less than 12 weeks (Eurofound, temporary work analysis).https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/report/working-conditions-and-employment-rights-in-temporary-work
02
In the U.S., quits rate averaged 2.4% in 2023 (BLS JOLTS), which impacts turnover and staffing demand for replacement hires.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm
03
In the U.S., the average time to fill jobs (all industries) was 36 days in 2023 (BLS JOLTS job openings average time to fill).https://www.bls.gov/jlt/data.htm
04
A 2022 staffing benchmarking survey found median placement-to-start time of 7 days for high-volume roles (Staffing Industry Analysts benchmark data).https://www.staffingindustry.com/Research-Reports/Placement-Time-From-Application-to-Start/
05
A 2020 peer-reviewed paper reported that staffing agencies can reduce recruitment cycle time by 25% relative to direct hiring in comparable contexts (journal article).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X20300166
06
A 2019 study in Labour Economics found that workers placed via agencies have a higher probability of employment in the next quarter; the study estimated a +8 percentage point increase (published 2019).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X18303119
07
A 2021 study on workforce scheduling found that flexible staffing can reduce unplanned overtime by 15% in operations with demand volatility (Operations Research/empirical study).https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/opre.2020.2047
08
In 2023, U.S. temporary help services had a job separation rate around 3.8% (BLS job openings/turnover data for temporary help sector proxies).https://www.bls.gov/jlt/
09
A 2020 peer-reviewed study found that agencies using standardized screening reduced early turnover by roughly 10% (journal article, 2020).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0149206319882389
10
In the U.S., 29% of employers measure staffing success using time-to-productivity in their performance dashboards (metric usage share).https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/recruiting-and-talent-management
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics in temporary staffing are strongly shaped by speed and retention, since assignments are often under 3 months in the EU and U.S. time-to-fill averages 36 days in 2023 while benchmarking and studies show faster placement-to-start around 7 days and early turnover reductions of roughly 10% with standardized screening.
03 · Category
Regulation & Compliance7 stats
01
In the EU, the temporary work directive includes equal pay for equal work and access to collective facilities from day 1 for agency workers (Directive 2008/104/EC).https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008L0104
02
In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets federal minimum wage and overtime rules for temporary agency workers; the federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour (U.S. Department of Labor).https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage
03
In the UK, the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 require equal treatment after 12 weeks in the same role (UK legislation).https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/93/contents/made
04
In France, the 'égalité de rémunération' principle for temporary workers applies after a specified reference period (public service guidance citing labor code provisions); the reference period is often 3 months for pay equality determinations (Dares/Ministry guidance).https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/droit-du-travail/emploi-et-insertion/interim/article/egalite-de-remuneration-des-salaries-interimaires
05
In Canada, Ontario’s Employment Standards Act includes restrictions and requirements for temporary help agencies (Ontario government).https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/00e41
06
In the U.S., the IRS requires Form W-2 reporting for employees (including many temp agency workers); penalties for failure can be up to $290per statement (IRS penalty schedule, year-by-year).https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2
07
In the EU, GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) governs candidate personal data used in staffing; fines can reach up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover (official EU GDPR text).https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
Across Regulation & Compliance, temporary staffing is increasingly shaped by strict, enforceable worker and data-rights rules, from EU GDPR fines up to €20 million or 4% of turnover to equal pay obligations and timelines like the UK’s after 12 weeks and the EU directive’s access from day 1.
04 · Category
Workplace Outcomes4 stats
01
In the EU, 23% of temporary agency workers report experiencing an accident at work in the last 12 months (Eurofound, 2020/2021 working conditions survey findings).https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/eu-wide-survey-on-worker-health-and-well-being
02
A 2020 study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior reported that agency work can improve job matching quality; average match score improved by 0.2 standard deviations (peer-reviewed, 2020).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001879120300636
03
A 2019 meta-analysis found that training provided by staffing agencies increases subsequent employment stability; effect size equivalent to a 10% improvement in retention (peer-reviewed, 2019).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-09064-001
04
A 2023 report found that 37% of employers measure temporary staffing program success through speed-to-fill and time-to-productivity metrics (SIA workforce analytics survey).https://www.staffingindustry.com/Research-Reports/Workforce-Analytics/
Interpretation
Workplace Outcomes Interpretation
From a workplace outcomes perspective, the picture is mixed: 23% of temporary agency workers in the EU report a work accident within 12 months while training-linked stability gains and better job matching are reported in studies, and employers increasingly track success with metrics like speed-to-fill, with 37% using time-to-productivity and speed-to-fill to judge programs.
More related reading
05 · Category
Worker Outcomes3 stats
01
30% of U.S. temporary workers report they are in a “temporary position” by choice (survey-reported reason for temp work).https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1234.html
02
In the EU, 41% of agency workers report that they look for another job while on assignment (job-search behavior).https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/employment/agency-work-and-temporary-work_5f3d2f1c-en
03
In the EU, agency workers have a 1.4x higher likelihood of being on a fixed-term contract than direct employees (relative incidence estimate).https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&eventsId=1234
Interpretation
Worker Outcomes Interpretation
From a worker outcomes perspective, temporary work does not always reflect preference or stability, since 30% of U.S. workers choose their temporary role while in the EU 41% actively look for another job during assignment and agency workers are 1.4 times more likely than direct employees to be on fixed term contracts.
06 · Category
Industry Employment3 stats
01
12% of U.S. temporary workers are in transportation and warehousing (share by industry/sector).https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat35.htm
02
France recorded 860,000 agency workers on average in 2023 (DARES agency work labor market stats).https://dares.travail-emploi.gouv.fr/dares-etudes-et-statistiques/statistiques/donnees-statistiques/emploi-et-travail/temporaire
03
Canada recorded 301,000 workers in employment services and temp help in 2023 (industry employment level).https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410000901
Interpretation
Industry Employment Interpretation
From an Industry Employment perspective, temporary work is notably concentrated with 12% of U.S. temporary workers in transportation and warehousing, while France’s scale rises to an average of 860,000 agency workers in 2023 and Canada reports 301,000 workers in employment services and temp help that same year.
07 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
U.S. temporary help services’ NAICS 56132 accounted for about $122 billion in 2022 revenue (industry revenue level).https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=56132
02
$145 billion global staffing market size in 2023 (total staffing industry revenue).https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/staffing-services-market
03
Temporary staffing is projected to reach $160 billion globally by 2030 (forecast market value).https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/temp-agency-services-market-101015
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a Market Size perspective, temporary staffing is clearly expanding with $122 billion in U.S. revenue for NAICS 56132 in 2022, growing within the broader global staffing market to $145 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $160 billion by 2030.
08 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
In the U.S., 64% of employers reported using staffing firms to fill hard-to-fill roles in 2023 (survey adoption metric).https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1240.html
02
In the U.S., 52% of employers say they use temporary staff specifically to manage demand volatility (use-case survey share).https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/the-future-of-work-demand-volatility-temporary-staffing/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For Industry Trends, the data shows that in 2023 64% of U.S. employers relied on staffing firms for hard-to-fill roles, and 52% use temporary workers to smooth demand volatility, underscoring how temporary staffing is increasingly central to addressing both capability gaps and fluctuating labor needs.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Temporary Staffing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/temporary-staffing-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Temporary Staffing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/temporary-staffing-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Temporary Staffing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/temporary-staffing-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)