Highest number of billed hours in October in 4 years: Survey
The Canadian Staffing Index was 125 in October, up eight per cent year-over-year from October 2011 and 11 per cent from 113 in September, according to the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services (ACSESS).
The index is based on reported billed hours for temporary staffing from a survey of leading staffing firms. The score of 125 measures the hours of labour performed by temporary and contract staff in October 2012 compared to the benchmark index of 100 established in July 2008.
"A good score was expected for October as it is traditionally a strong month for staffing, and we were not disappointed,” said Ted Maksimowski, ACSESS national director and owner and franchise developer for Express Employment Professionals. “This month's value of 125 is the highest we have ever had. It reflects positively on the Canadian economy and the value that businesses see in utilizing temporary staffing."
October is the thirteenth consecutive month with the index above 100, said Timothy Landhuis, research analyst at Staffing Industry Analysts.
"This shows that the industry has sustained activity above pre-recession levels in terms of the volume of demand for temporary staffing for more than a year now".