Canadian Staffing Index - June 2011

“Although the Staffing Index remains below the pre-recession 100 level, it is continuing along an encouraging trajectory. On the ground, ACSESS members are reporting anecdotally that temporary assignments are lengthening, more employers are hiring permanent employees with the assistance of staffing companies, and there is a return to the traditional and predictable seasonal fluctuations in Temporary hours,” explained ACSESS President, Bryan Toffey, adding that, “These are all signs of stability and cautious optimism in the Canadian employment market.”
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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."
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For more information regarding the Canadian Staffing Index contact:

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

www.acsess.org

Canadian Staffing Industry Leads The Way

We can look back upon 2010 and easily describe it as the year of staffing industry leadership. For starters, we lead the Canadian economy out of recession by helping employers fulfill their rehiring plans. While we were going about our business, our new Canadian Staffing Index provided a leading indicator of job recovery for economists, businesses leaders and government policy makers.

Our Safety Groups also showed tremendous leadership, helping to prove that staffing companies are some of Canada’s best and most responsible employers. ACSESS, in cooperation with the Alberta government, the Workers Compensation Board and the Alberta Association of Safety Partnerships, initiated the first industry specific Certificate of Recognition (COR) safety program and over thirty member companies registered to help lead the way.

The members of the Ontario ACSESS Safety Group continued to “lead by example”, demonstrating the kind of leadership that fosters pride in our industry. Once again, this Safety Group was successful in reducing lost time injuries and frequency of incidents and they were rewarded with over $900,000 in member rebates. Leadership has its benefits!

Our Chapter Presidents are also stepping up their leadership game. Local Presidents from across Canada have been regularly meeting with each other to discuss, share and learn best practices in the operation of a local chapter and to develop winning chapter initiatives.

During our annual conference in 2010 we recognized the following people and companies for their leadership:

Award of Excellence, Johanne Berry, CPC, Tele-Ressources Ltee.
Leadership Award, Jacqueline Pourreaux, CPC, Hunt Personnel
Special Recognition Award, Sherri Strong, CPC, The People Bank
Community Service Award, Randstad Canada
Community Service Award, The Bagg Group
Health & Safety Award, C-S Personnel Ltd.

Time after time, ACSESS members assume various leadership roles with a sense of purpose, shared vision and a desire to make our individual companies better and our industry better. As we turn every corner another staffing industry professional is leading us to change and improve. You are a passionate group and it’s no surprise that the staffing industry is the source of so many leaders doing so many great things.

In this issue recently published issue of Dialogue and on the ACSESS website, you’ll find a summary of the upcoming conference for 2011. Whether you are looking to lead or to be lead, the industry’s best will converge on Montreal in May 2011. If you are staffing professional, this is an event that you don’t want to miss.

(Reprinted from my President's Message in ACSESS Dialogue Magazine)

Enjoy,

Steve Jones

ACSESS National President

Click here for: ACSESS Conference Brochure and Registration Form

Click here for: ACSESS Dialogue Magazine