Temp Staffing, Factories and Warehouses: Where Industrial Hiring Stands (Oct. 25, 2026)
Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts how many people are on payrolls in each industry. Most headlines stop at the big total. For employers who run plants, warehouses and distribution centers, the industry-level numbers say a lot more about who is hiring, who is cutting back, and how hard it will be to find people heading into the end of the year.
The big picture: barely growing
The September jobs report (opens in a new tab) showed U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs, compared with an average of 45,000 a month over the prior year, and the unemployment rate held at 4.2 percent. BLS also revised July and August down by a combined 60,000 jobs. Hiring is slow, but layoffs remain low, so most workers are staying put.
Industrial jobs by the numbers
Here's how payrolls in the industries we staff most have moved, from the BLS industry employment table (opens in a new tab) (seasonally adjusted, September 2026 figures are preliminary):
| Industry | Sept. 2025 | Sept. 2026 | Change in Sept. | Change over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary help services | 2,471,600 | 2,486,800 | -10,900 | +15,200 |
| Manufacturing (all) | 12,612,000 | 12,652,000 | +9,000 | +40,000 |
| Motor vehicles and parts | 960,900 | 962,500 | +1,600 | +1,600 |
| Plastics and rubber products | 701,300 | 694,900 | +4,600 | -6,400 |
| Warehousing and storage | 1,853,400 | 1,831,800 | -4,100 | -21,600 |
| Truck transportation | 1,472,300 | 1,473,100 | +2,600 | +800 |
| Construction | 8,255,000 | 8,364,000 | +11,000 | +109,000 |
What the numbers tell us
Temp staffing dipped, but it's still ahead of last year. Temporary help jobs fell by 10,900 in September, after holding steady in July and August. Even so, there are about 15,200 more temp workers on the job than a year ago. Many employers add or trim temporary workers before they change permanent headcount, so this is a number worth watching. For now it suggests employers are being careful, not pulling back hard.
Manufacturing keeps inching up. Factory jobs rose by 9,000 in September and are up 72,000 since a low in December 2025, according to BLS. Machinery makers added about 5,000 jobs and plastics and rubber plants added about 4,600. The average factory workweek held at 40.6 hours with 3.0 hours of overtime, a sign many plants are leaning on the people they already have.
Warehouses are running leaner. Warehousing and storage lost 4,100 jobs in September and is down about 21,600 from a year ago. Fewer warehouse jobs can mean more experienced pickers, packers and forklift operators are available, but the busy holiday season can tighten that supply fast.
Auto jobs are flat. Motor vehicle and parts employment, which matters a lot here in southeast Michigan, is almost exactly where it was a year ago.
What this means for employers
- Plan holiday and year-end help now. Warehouse and shipping volume usually climbs in November and December. Lining up temporary workers before the rush is easier than scrambling once orders spike.
- Watch your overtime. If your crew is regularly working well past 40 hours, a temp or temp-to-hire worker can cost less than ongoing overtime and help prevent burnout and turnover.
- Use temp-to-hire to hire carefully. With growth this slow, many employers don't want to commit to permanent headcount yet. A temp-to-hire arrangement lets you fill the gap and decide later.
- Experienced workers are out there. As we noted earlier this week, factory layoffs in Michigan and Ohio mean skilled production workers are looking, and our pay update shows what they expect to earn.
Coming up: BLS releases September jobless rates for metro areas, including Monroe and Detroit, on October 28, September JOLTS job openings data on November 3, and the October jobs report on November 6. We'll keep tracking them here.
Need workers before the year-end rush?
Aggressive Hiring Group is a woman-owned, family-run staffing agency in Monroe, MI, placing workers for employers nationwide for 12 years. We keep a network of pre-screened industrial, warehouse, logistics, office and technical candidates ready to go, and every one goes through our screening process, including background and reference checks and 10-panel drug screening. Call us at 734.785.8968, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, or request staff online.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, September 2026 (released Oct. 2, 2026, USDL-26-1549), summary and Table B-1, seasonally adjusted. September 2026 figures are preliminary and subject to revision.