November 2017 American Staffing Index
November 2017 American Staffing Index and BLS Information
November 2017 American Staffing Index Data
As we’ve covered before, the American Staffing Association (ASA) provides monthly staffing index reports, which are set at a baseline of 100 from June 2006. The Standard and Poor’s DRI/McGraw Hill 1992 model helped form the inspiration for the ASA Employment and Sales Survey model. The ASA reports in nearly real-time as they release the index information only 9 days after each workweek.
Keeping the baseline in mind, it is exciting to see that in the week of November 6th to the 12th the staffing index hit 101.09! The ASA sites this as the first time in almost three years that the staffing index has rising above a 101 value. The ASA compared this time frame to the same time frame in 2016 and saw that staffing employment was 2.82% higher in 2017. The ASA also noted that this increase was seen even though some employers sited factors including Veterans Day holiday, seasonal business fluctuation, conversions of temporary workers to hired positions, and other factors affecting the rate of growth in this sector. On another positive note, the four-week moving average improved from 99.52 to 100.14. Comparing November 2016 staffing index to November 2017 index there was a 1.86% increase in the four weeks ending November 12th.
A Peak into December 2017 ASA Staffing Index Data
As of December 17, 2017 the ASA Staffing Index was at 100, which is .41% above where it was for the same time frame in 2016. However, it decreased slightly to 99.66 as of the ASA December report released on the 27th. The ASA was quick to report that this value of 99 remained 99 or above for nine consecutive weeks.
BLS Data November 2017
On December 8th, 2017 the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the November Employment Situation Report. This report details employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector and selected industry detail in the thousands. The following numbers are presented from the seasonally adjusted segment of the report. Professional and business services rose from 20,882 to 20,928 from October 2017 to November 2017 for a positive change of 46. In the same time period professional and technical services had a positive change of 23.5 from 9,207.3 to 9,230.8. Computer system design and related services still increased but at a much smaller rate of 3.8 from 2,072.2 to 2,076.0. Management and technical consulting services also saw an increase of 7.2 from October to November 2017, 1,438.7 to 1,465.9 respectively. “Other” professional and technical services saw an increase of 3.8 from 729.9 to 733.7 as well.
Comparing the seasonally adjusted data from November 2016 to November 2017 we see professional and business services was 20,380 compared to 20,928. Professional and technical services category was 8,988.2 compared to 9,230.8, and computer systems design and related services was 2,024.5 compared to 2,076.0. Management and technical consulting services also rose from 1,404.2 to 1,465.9. Last, other professional and technical services increased from 692.2 to 733.7.
Summary
Both the November 2017 American Staffing Index and the BLS data show incremental growth from previous weeks, months, and years. It will be interesting to see the changes that 2018 will bring. We will continue to monitor the changes in the ASA staffing index going into the next year, and continue to provide our readers with updates from the BLS in related industries.
