The US staffing industry deployed over 3 million temporary and contract workers daily in 2023, and staffing now accounts for 16% of all US jobs. Average temporary worker tenure sits at 11 months, even as the industry added 350,000 net new jobs. This snapshot connects workforce stability with placement churn and wage pressure.
Key Takeaways
- The US staffing industry employed over 3 million temporary and contract workers daily in 2023
- Temporary nursing placements accounted for 45% of healthcare staffing revenue in 2023
- In 2023, the US staffing industry generated $212.5 billion in revenue, marking a 6% increase from 2022
- The average bill rate for temporary staff in US was $45.20 per hour in 2023
- The US staffing industry is forecasted to grow 3.5% in 2024, reaching $220 billion
US staffing employment continues to rebound, signaling steady hiring demand and improved workforce stability.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment And Workforce15 stats
01
The US staffing industry employed over 3 million temporary and contract workers daily in 2023
02
Staffing workers filled 16% of all US jobs in 2023, providing flexibility to businesses
03
Women comprise 57% of the staffing workforce in the US as of 2023
04
The average tenure of temporary workers in US staffing is 11 months
05
92% of staffing employees work full-time hours while in assignments, per 2023 ASA survey
06
US staffing industry added 350,000 net new jobs in 2023
07
Temporary help employment peaked at 3.1 million in March 2022 but stabilized at 2.9 million by end-2023
08
37% of staffing workers transition to permanent roles with client companies annually
09
Diverse workers (minorities) make up 42% of the US staffing workforce in 2023
10
The average hourly wage for US temporary workers was $21.50in 2023
11
Over 80% of US employers used staffing services in 2023, up from 75% in 2020
12
Staffing employment in IT sector grew 5.2% YoY in 2023
13
Veterans represent 8% of the staffing workforce, higher than national average of 5%
14
65% of staffing workers receive health benefits through agencies in 2023
15
US staffing filled 1.7 million jobs in manufacturing sector in 2023
Interpretation
Employment And Workforce Interpretation
In 2023, the US staffing industry’s employment footprint remained huge with 3 million-plus temporary and contract workers daily and 16% of all US jobs filled, reinforcing how central staffing is to workforce flexibility and scaling.
02 · Category
Industry Segments19 stats
01
Temporary nursing placements accounted for 45% of healthcare staffing revenue in 2023
02
Industrial staffing represented 28% of total US staffing market share in 2023
03
Office/clerical segment held 18% market share with steady demand in 2023
04
IT/engineering combined for 22% of industry revenue in 2023
05
Healthcare staffing grew to 20% of total market in 2023 from 16% in 2020
06
Professional staffing (excl. IT) comprised 15% of the market at $31.8 billion in 2023
07
Manufacturing sector utilized 35% of all industrial temp workers in 2023
08
Travel nursing demand peaked at 15% of healthcare staffing in Q3 2023
09
Finance/accounting segment saw 12% growth, capturing 6% market share in 2023
10
Construction staffing filled 25% of labor gaps in skilled trades in 2023
11
Education staffing surged 18% in K-12 segment during 2023 shortages
12
Logistics/warehousing temps made up 40% of industrial placements in 2023
13
Cyber security roles dominated IT staffing with 28% of placements in 2023
14
Allied health professionals (e.g., therapists) were 30% of healthcare staffing in 2023
15
Software development roles accounted for 35% of IT staffing demand in 2023
16
Administrative temps in legal firms rose 10% in placements for 2023
17
Automotive manufacturing used 22% of industrial staffing hours in 2023
18
Cloud computing specialists were 20% of engineering staffing in 2023
19
Retail holiday staffing peaked at 500,000 temps in Q4 2023
Interpretation
Industry Segments Interpretation
Within US staffing industry segments, healthcare staffing is emerging as the standout trend, growing to 20% of the total market in 2023 from 16% in 2020, with temporary nursing placements alone driving 45% of healthcare staffing revenue.
03 · Category
Market Size And Growth15 stats
01
In 2023, the US staffing industry generated $212.5 billion in revenue, marking a 6% increase from 2022
02
The US staffing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2024 to 2030, reaching $285 billion by 2030
03
Temporary staffing accounted for 78% of total US staffing industry revenue in 2023
04
The industrial staffing segment grew by 8.7% year-over-year in Q4 2023, contributing to overall market expansion
05
US staffing industry employment reached 17.3 million workers in 2023, up 2.1% from the previous year
06
The market size of the US staffing industry was valued at $205 billion in 2022
07
Staffing penetration rate in the US workforce stood at 16.2% in 2023
08
The healthcare staffing submarket expanded by 12.4% in 2023 amid labor shortages
09
Total US staffing revenue hit a record $212 billion in 2023, driven by demand in office-clerical and industrial sectors
10
The US staffing industry's gross margin averaged 25.8% in 2023
11
Direct hire placements contributed $28.4 billion to industry revenue in 2023
12
The market is expected to add $15 billion in revenue by 2025 due to economic recovery
13
US staffing industry saw 3.2% revenue growth in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023
14
Contingent workforce management (CWM) programs grew to represent 40% of large enterprise staffing spend in 2023
15
The overall US staffing market contracted by 0.5% in Q1 2024 but showed signs of stabilization
Interpretation
Market Size And Growth Interpretation
The US staffing industry reached $212.5 billion in revenue in 2023 and is on track to grow at a 4.2% CAGR to $285 billion by 2030, showing steady market expansion driven largely by temporary staffing, which makes up 78% of revenue.
More related reading
04 · Category
Revenue And Financials17 stats
01
The average bill rate for temporary staff in US was $45.20per hour in 2023
02
Staffing company net profits averaged 4.2% of revenue in 2023 for top 100 firms
03
Office-clerical staffing generated $35.6 billion in revenue in 2023
04
Gross margins in IT staffing reached 28.5% in 2023 due to skilled labor premiums
05
The top 100 US staffing firms generated $105 billion in revenue in 2023
06
Search and placement fees totaled $12.8 billion industry-wide in 2023
07
Industrial staffing revenue increased to $56.2 billion in 2023, up 7%
08
Healthcare staffing revenue surged to $42.1 billion in 2023
09
Average EBITDA margin for public staffing companies was 6.8% in FY2023
10
Managed services programs generated $18.5 billion for staffing firms in 2023
11
Engineering staffing revenue was $15.3 billion in 2023, growing 4.1%
12
Finance and accounting staffing contributed $11.2 billion to 2023 totals
13
Temporary-to-perm conversions generated $9.7 billion in fees in 2023
14
Legal staffing revenue hit $4.8 billion in 2023 amid compliance demands
15
Scientific staffing generated $6.5 billion, up 9% YoY in 2023
16
Hospitality staffing revenue recovered to $8.9 billion post-pandemic in 2023
17
IT staffing segment dominated with $38.7 billion in revenue for 2023
Interpretation
Revenue And Financials Interpretation
In 2023 the US staffing industry produced $105 billion in revenue for the top 100 firms while operating on slim 4.2% net profits, showing that even with a $45.20 average hourly bill rate and strong gross margins of 28.5% in IT staffing, earnings remain tightly constrained in revenue and financial performance.
05 · Category
Trends And Projections20 stats
01
The US staffing industry is forecasted to grow 3.5% in 2024, reaching $220 billion
02
AI adoption in staffing is expected to automate 25% of recruitment tasks by 2027
03
Gig economy integration could add 2 million workers to staffing by 2028
04
Remote work staffing demand projected to stabilize at 15% of placements by 2025
05
Labor shortages in healthcare expected to persist, driving 10% annual growth through 2030
06
Regulatory changes on classification may impact 20% of contingent workforce by 2026
07
Upskilling programs in staffing firms projected to cover 50% of workers by 2027
08
Sustainability staffing roles to grow 15% annually through 2028
09
Total industry employment forecasted at 18 million by end of 2025
10
Digital platforms expected to handle 40% of staffing transactions by 2026
11
Inflation pressures may reduce margins to 24% by 2025
12
Diversity hiring mandates to boost minority placements by 12% annually to 2028
13
Recession risk could contract market by 2-4% in 2025 worst-case scenario
14
Nearshoring trends to increase manufacturing staffing by 8% through 2027
15
Gen Z entry projected to fill 30% of entry-level staffing roles by 2030
16
Cybersecurity staffing demand up 25% projected for next 5 years
17
Flexible work preferences to drive 20% growth in contract staffing by 2026
18
Automation in admin roles may reduce office staffing by 10% by 2027
19
EV manufacturing boom to create 500,000 staffing jobs by 2028
20
Benefits portability challenges expected to affect 35% of multi-assignment workers by 2025
Interpretation
Trends And Projections Interpretation
For Trends And Projections, the US staffing industry is set to expand to $220 billion in 2024 with major disruption coming from AI that could automate 25% of recruitment tasks by 2027 and from healthcare labor shortages sustaining 10% annual growth through 2030.
report visual · Key figures
U.S. Staffing Industry: Employment and Market Expansion
Employment stabilized through 2023 and the market is projected to keep growing through 2030.
3.1
Temporary help employment peaked at 3.1 million in March 2022 but stabilized at 2.9 million by end-2023
2.1%
US staffing industry employment reached 17.3 million workers in 2023, up 2.1% from the previous year
4.2%
The US staffing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2024 to 2030, reaching $285 billion by 2030
10%
Labor shortages in healthcare expected to persist, driving 10% annual growth through 2030
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
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Us Staffing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/us-staffing-industry-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Us Staffing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/us-staffing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Us Staffing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/us-staffing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
7 datasets cited across this report