US Temporary Help Services Add 3,400 July Jobs, Driving 1 in 10 New 2026 Positions
Updated
Updated · Fortune · Aug 24
US Temporary Help Services Add 3,400 July Jobs, Driving 1 in 10 New 2026 Positions
3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Aug 24
Summary
Temporary help services added 3,400 jobs in July and has grown every month in 2026, ranking second among more than 300 industries in jobs added.
One in 10 jobs created this year has been temporary, reflecting stronger demand for contract work from both employers and workers rather than a narrow staffing-industry rebound.
Young adults are a key force behind that shift: workers under 24 were four times more likely than prime-age workers to hold contingent jobs in 2023, and 40% of temporary workers in a 2025 ASA-i360 survey were ages 18 to 29.
Employers in construction, transportation, professional services, healthcare and government are also leaning on project-based hiring to control costs and keep headcount flexible in an uncertain, inflation-hit economy.
The pickup points to a labor market tilting toward flexibility, with pressure for portable benefits, microcredentialing and stronger retention efforts as permanent employment becomes harder for either side to guarantee.