The Canadian Staffing Index was 115 in April. The index was up 4% from April a year ago, when the index was 111. The Canadian Staffing Index reflects the volume of demand for temporary staffing in Canada. It is based upon the number of billed hours reported by a monthly survey of leading staffing firms, and the index is not adjusted for seasonal factors. The index value of 100 corresponds to the size of the industry in July 2008, when the index began. On a sequential basis, the April index value of 115 is up 4% from the final March index value of 111, which was revised down from a preliminary reading of 114. "The April value of 115 is up 4% from a year ago. Adjusting for the fact that April 2013 had one more working day than a year ago, the index implies that demand is roughly unchanged from a year ago. Looking at the trend, it appears that the trend of deceleration has at least stabilized in recent months," says Timothy Landhuis, Research Analyst at Staffing Industry Analysts.

The Canadian Staffing Index measures the hours of labour performed by a sampling of temporary and contract staffing in the staffing industry. The data collected is the largest sample size done in Canada provided by a number of Canadian staffing companies and accounts for approximately one third of total staffing industry sales. To preserve confidentiality the data is collected by Staffing Industry Analysts www.staffingindustry.com; an independent company specialized in staffing industry statistics. Data is available for the months starting July 2008 (the benchmark month) to the current month.

In review of similar Index research from the USA, many experts agree staffing industry employment data serves as an economic indicator. Historically, temporary employment improves as overtime hours increase and as unemployment claims decrease. This means the Index can provide a "near real time" indication of how the Canadian economy is performing.

"The Canadian Staffing Index demonstrates both the changes in the Canadian economy and the volatile nature of the staffing business. It is that ability to provide a flexible workforce that brings tremendous value to our clients."

Understanding the Canadian Staffing Index Click here to view the PowerPoint Presenation (Members Only)

For more information regarding the Canadian Staffing Index contact:

Amanda Curtis, CAE
Executive Director, ACSESS
1-888-232-4962 / 905-826-6869