May Shows Steady Economic Improvement

ACSESS Staffing Index Indicates a Cautious Recovery

MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 17 /CNW/ - The May 2010 Canadian Staffing Index was released this week by the Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services (ACSESS).

The May report shows a slight decrease in temporary and contract hours of 1 point compared to April 2010. The Index also illustrates a healthy 13 point gain as reported in May 2009.

An Index value of 78 indicates the hours of labour supplied by the Canadian Staffing industry during the month of May remained 20% below the 100 Benchmark of July 2008 and 29 points below the industry high reported in October 2008. The Index continues to show a steady recovery but it also reflects the nuances of the temporary and contract staffing industry and the sensitivity of the recovering Canadian economy.

"The validity of the data collected by the ACSESS Canadian Staffing Index is consistent with real time information," says Steve Jones, President of ACSESS. This slight decline in May reflects normal seasonal declines based on college and university students flooding the employment marketplace and being hired into positions staffed by staffing firms during the balance of the year. Jones predicts that based on the data collected, Statistics Canada will report a moderate job increase for June in its upcoming Employment Report to be released at the beginning of July.

Each monthly release of the ACSESS Canadian Staffing Index clearly answers the question, "How's business?" Temporary and contract hours are coincidental with real time economic activity and ACSESS believes serves an excellent indicator for journalists, economists and analysts who are focused on current staffing and employment trends.

About the Canadian Staffing Index:

Hours of labour data is collected by Staffing Industry Analysts, an independent company specializing in the staffing industry. The source data is provided by a representative number of Canadian staffing companies providing services in almost every industry across the country.

The data is collected on a monthly basis, with the initial data capture dating back to July 2008, providing real historical insight into the Canadian staffing landscape.

    
    -------------------------
    Date      Not Seasonally
              Adjusted
    -------------------------
    Jul-08    100
    -------------------------
    Aug-08    97
    -------------------------
    Sep-08    99
    -------------------------
    Oct-08    107
    -------------------------
    Nov-08    94
    -------------------------
    Dec-08    81
    -------------------------
    Jan-09    75
    -------------------------
    Feb-09    67
    -------------------------
    Mar-09    71
    -------------------------
    Apr-09    70
    -------------------------
    May-09    65
    -------------------------
    Jun-09    68
    -------------------------
    Jul-09    73
    -------------------------
    Aug-09    70
    -------------------------
    Sep-09    78
    -------------------------
    Oct-09    78
    -------------------------
    Nov-09    77
    -------------------------
    Dec-09    74
    -------------------------
    Jan-10    69
    -------------------------
    Feb-10    71
    -------------------------
    Mar-10    82
    -------------------------
    Apr-10    79
    -------------------------
    May-10    78
    -------------------------
    

About ACSESS

ACSESS is the single voice for promoting best practices and ethical standards for the recruitment, employment and staffing services industry in Canada. For more information visit: (less than)http://www.acsess.org/(greater than) www.acsess.org

About Staffing Industry Analysts

Staffing Industry Analysts is the premier research and analysis firm covering temporary employment and the contingent workforce. Known for its independent and objective insights, the company's proprietary research, data, support tools, publications and executive conferences provide a competitive edge to decision-makers who supply and buy temporary staffing. In addition to temporary staffing, Staffing Industry Analysts also covers these related staffing sectors: third party placement, and staff leasing (PEOs). Founded in 1989, the company is headquartered in Los Altos, California. For more information visit: www.staffingindustry.com (less than)http://www.staffingindustry.com/(greater than)

For further information: Media Contact: Suzanne McInerney, CPC Communications and Marketing Specialist, Phone [phone], Toll Free: 1-888-232-4962, Email: [email protected]