In June, employment continued to trend up in temporary help services (+20,000),” according to Erica L. Groshen, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, commenting on the jobs report released on July 2nd. Seasonally adjusted staffing employment was up 0.7% from May to June and 5.7% from June 2014. Year-to-year staffing job growth also averaged 5.9% over the past 12 months.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that temporary help employment increased 1.1% from May to June. Year-to-year, there were 5.6% more staffing employees in June than in the same month last year.

âAlthough the June jobs report was mostly positive, economic and employment indicators remain mixed and businesses continue to cautiously increase the size of their permanent and flexible workforces,” said Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “The decrease in the labor force participation rate and the lack of job creation in goods producing sectors suggests much of the economy is still struggling to shift out of first gear.”

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 223,000 jobs in June (seasonally adjusted), BLS reported. Incorporating revisions for April and May, the data showed that monthly job gains averaged 221,000 over the past three months, less than the average of 250,000 for the prior 12 months.

The unemployment rate declined to 5.3% in June—down 0.2 of a percentage point from May.

BLS also released preliminary May employment data for search and placement services, which increased 0.8% from April, seasonally adjusted. Search and placement jobs totaled 320,300 in May, 8.9% higher than in the same month last year.