The average gross margin among 16 publicly traded staffing firms tracked by Staffing Industry Analysts was 25.3% in 2018.
SIA defines gross margin [1] as the difference between the bill rate for the temporary services and the direct costs of employment (pay rate plus burden and/or mandatory benefits).
In the United States, burden includes workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, employer’s share of FICA and state or local taxes for each temporary employee on assignment.
In Europe, mandatory benefits vary per market but will generally include employment tax and social insurances.
Staffing company gross margins vary per country and per staffing category depending on the perceived value-add of the service provided. Among the 16 companies tracked in SIA’s report, gross margin ranged from 14.8% to 41.6% in 2018.
The Gross Margin and Bill Rate Trends [2] report is available to CWS Council [3] members.