The U.S. staffing sector has finally broken a multi-year stagnation, recording its first year-over-year revenue and employment gains since late 2022. According to data released by the American Staffing Association, total staffing employment increased by 0.6% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, adding approximately 12,000 jobs, while total revenue rose by 3.3%.

Simultaneously, the integration of artificial intelligence into recruitment and workforce operations is accelerating rapidly across the industry. Workday announced the general availability of its VNDLY Contingent Sourcing Agent, a tool designed to reduce time-to-fill through AI-powered applicant grading and spend optimization, as detailed on the Workday Blog.

At the same time, platforms like Findem are launching specialized studio environments to convert raw talent data into trustworthy intelligence for AI workflows, according to CHROFirst. Meanwhile, the American Staffing Association reported that SThree also saw positive year-over-year staffing sales growth in its Q3 FY26 results.

Other notable stories today include updates on Randstad's employer brand research, Equifax's new healthcare credentialing tool, and Aerotek's latest job seeker survey.