Picking a temporary staffing agency usually comes down to one question that’s harder to answer than it looks: does this company actually specialize in the kind of role I’m filling, or am I about to be a small account at a giant firm that mostly moves warehouse and call-center workers? The agencies below range from 80-year-old pioneers of the entire industry to specialists that only work in one or two fields, and the difference matters more than any of them will tell you upfront.
We’re an RPO firm, not a temporary staffing agency, so this list has no financial stake in where you land. We researched these 11 companies the way we’d research a vendor for one of our own clients: founding history, headquarters, verifiable scale, and area of specialization, pulled from public company records, SEC filings, and press releases rather than marketing copy. A quick note before the list: RediRecruit isn’t on it. We don’t provide temporary staffing, since our model puts your new hire on your payroll from day one, not ours. If that distinction matters for what you’re trying to do, our full comparison of temporary staffing and RPO walks through when each model actually fits.
How we picked these 11: national or multi-regional reach, a verifiable public track record (revenue, offices, or placement volume from a real source, not a claimed number with nothing behind it), and a clear area of specialization rather than a vague “we do everything” pitch. We didn’t rank by price, since nearly every agency on this list quotes custom rates and won’t publish a rate card. We also skipped star ratings. Verified, comparable review data doesn’t exist across all 11 of these at once, and we’d rather leave it out than make one up.
The Industry’s Timeline, at a Glance
Six of these 11 companies were founded before 1965. The temp staffing industry is genuinely old, and a lot of its current structure traces back to a handful of founders solving the same problem in different cities.
Quick Comparison
| Agency | Founded | Headquarters | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ManpowerGroup / Manpower | 1948 | Milwaukee, MI | Large-scale, global contingent staffing |
| Randstad | 1960 | Diemen, Netherlands | Administrative and office support at scale |
| Adecco | 1996 (roots to 1957) | Zurich, Switzerland (US: Jacksonville, FL) | Broad multi-industry staffing with upskilling support |
| Kelly Services | 1946 | Troy, Michigan | Science, education, and specialty niche staffing |
| Robert Half | 1948 | Menlo Park, California | Finance and accounting temp staffing |
| Aerotek | 1983 | Hanover, Maryland | Industrial, manufacturing, and skilled trades |
| Insight Global | 2001 | Atlanta, Georgia | IT and technology contract staffing |
| Kforce | 1962 (roots) | Tampa, Florida | Technology and finance & accounting contract staffing |
| Express Employment Professionals | 1983 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Small and mid-size business hiring |
| PeopleReady (TrueBlue) | 1989 | Tacoma, Washington | Same-day, on-demand light industrial staffing |
| Spherion | 1946 (roots) | Atlanta, Georgia | Local, community-based general staffing |
The 11 Agencies
1. ManpowerGroup / Manpower
Founded in 1948 in Milwaukee by attorneys Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld, Manpower is old enough that its founding predates the term “temp agency.” The parent company, ManpowerGroup, reported roughly $17.9 billion in revenue in 2024 and operates in more than 70 countries. In 2026, Manpower was ranked the No. 1 temporary staffing firm in the country on Forbes’ annual list, developed with Statista from nearly 14,000 recruiter, employer, and candidate survey responses, marking its tenth straight year on Forbes’ staffing rankings.
Manpower covers a wide range of industries, from manufacturing and logistics to finance and transportation, and offers onsite management for clients who want staffing handled directly at their location.
Worth knowing: at this scale, service quality can vary somewhat by local branch and market, since not every office is staffed or run identically.
2. Randstad
Randstad was founded in 1960 by a Dutch university student, Frits Goldschmeding, who started a temp agency out of his thesis research. It has since grown into the largest staffing and recruitment company in the world by revenue, reporting €24.1 billion in 2024 across 4,861 branches in 39 countries.
The company is particularly strong in administrative and office support roles, and also offers direct hire, RPO, and payroll services alongside its core temp staffing business.
Worth knowing: Randstad’s breadth is a strength for office and admin roles specifically; for heavy industrial or skilled trades needs, a specialist further down this list may be a tighter fit.
3. Adecco
Adecco formed in 1996 through the merger of Switzerland’s Adia (founded 1957) and France’s Ecco (founded 1964), and its US operations are headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Adecco Group is currently the world’s second-largest staffing firm by revenue, reporting €23.14 billion in 2024, behind only Randstad.
Adecco covers automotive, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance, and runs a free upskilling program called Aspire Academy for workers in its network.
Worth knowing: as a global enterprise-scale operator, Adecco tends to be best suited to businesses with sizable or recurring staffing volume rather than a single one-off hire.
4. Kelly Services
Kelly Services has a real claim to inventing the modern temp staffing industry. William Russell Kelly founded it in Detroit in 1946, and the company’s early “Kelly Girl” office workers helped define what temporary staffing even meant. Headquartered today in Troy, Michigan, Kelly reported around $4.3 billion in revenue and connects more than 450,000 people to work annually across 30-plus countries.
Kelly’s specialty lines include science, engineering, education, and IT staffing, alongside its original office and clerical roots.
Worth knowing: because Kelly runs so many specialty divisions, it’s worth confirming upfront that your specific niche has a dedicated team rather than a generalist recruiter.
5. Robert Half
Robert and Maxine Half founded Robert Half Inc. in New York City in March 1948, built specifically around the idea that general employment agencies weren’t serving accountants and finance professionals well. The company, now headquartered in Menlo Park, California and publicly traded as NYSE: RHI, reported $5.80 billion in revenue in 2024 across more than 345 locations.
Its core strength remains finance and accounting temporary and interim staffing, with additional practices in technology, legal, and creative/marketing talent.
Worth knowing: Robert Half is built for finance, accounting, IT, legal, and creative roles specifically. It’s not the agency to call for industrial, warehouse, or light industrial staffing.
6. Aerotek
Aerotek was started in 1983 by cousins Jim Davis and Steve Bisciotti (yes, the Baltimore Ravens owner), originally to staff engineering and aerospace roles. It’s now part of Allegis Group, the world’s largest privately held staffing firm. In 2021, Aerotek’s specialty divisions split into separate operating companies: Aerotek kept industrial, manufacturing, logistics, and construction staffing, while engineering moved to a sister company called Actalent. Today Aerotek serves more than 13,000 clients and places over 200,000 light industrial and skilled trades contract employees annually.
Worth knowing: if you specifically need engineering talent, note that Aerotek’s engineering business now operates under the Actalent brand, not Aerotek itself.
7. Insight Global
Insight Global is the youngest company on this list, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Atlanta. It’s grown fast: recent reporting put it around $4.0 billion in revenue and among the four largest staffing firms in the US amid a period of broader industry contraction. The company operates 60-plus offices across the US, Canada, the UK, and India.
Insight Global’s core focus is IT and technology staffing, including contract, contract-to-permanent, and permanent placements, with additional practices in healthcare, accounting, and government.
Worth knowing: tech roles through Insight Global can be competitive to fill given demand, so timelines can run tighter than with a generalist agency.
8. Kforce
Kforce’s predecessor firms date back to 1962 as Romac & Associates, before the company was incorporated as Kforce in 1994 and rebranded from Romac in 1999. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Kforce reported roughly $1.4 billion in revenue in 2024 and works with about 70% of Fortune 100 companies, placing close to 18,000 to 23,000 professionals a year on both temporary (“Flex”) and direct-hire terms.
Its focus is narrow by design: technology, and finance and accounting.
Worth knowing: Kforce’s operations are overwhelmingly US-based, so it’s not the pick if you need staffing support outside the country.
9. Express Employment Professionals
Express was founded in 1983 in Oklahoma City by Robert Funk, William Stoller, and James Gray, former colleagues at a staffing firm that had dissolved. It began franchising in 1985 and has grown into the largest staffing franchise in the US, with more than 800 locations across the US, Canada, and South Africa, and a track record of helping millions of people find work.
Express covers office services, light industrial, skilled trades, and healthcare staffing, and specifically markets itself toward small and mid-size businesses.
Worth knowing: because Express operates on a franchise model, service quality and local market expertise can vary somewhat by individual franchise owner.
10. PeopleReady (TrueBlue)
PeopleReady traces back to 1989, when it launched in Tacoma, Washington as Labor Ready. Its parent company renamed itself TrueBlue in 2007 and now trades as NYSE: TBI. PeopleReady’s signature feature is JobStack, an app that matches businesses with pre-screened, E-Verified W-2 workers on demand, sometimes same-day. In 2023, PeopleReady served roughly 64,000 businesses and put about 154,000 people to work.
The company focuses on construction, manufacturing, logistics, retail, and hospitality, and has separately built out PeopleReady Skilled Trades for licensed trade roles.
Worth knowing: the on-demand, app-based model is built for speed on general and light industrial labor, not for filling specialized or highly credentialed professional roles.
11. Spherion
Spherion’s roots stretch back to 1946, when it started in Chicago as City Car Unloaders before going through several names, including Labor Pool and Interim Services, and finally rebranding as Spherion in 2000. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company operates through more than 200 locally owned and operated locations and puts over 150,000 Americans to work each day. In March 2023, Spherion was acquired by Randstad.
Spherion covers general administrative, industrial, and clerical temp staffing with a community-based, locally owned franchise structure.
Worth knowing: since the Randstad acquisition, it’s worth asking how integrated your local Spherion office is with Randstad’s broader systems and account management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a temporary staffing agency and a direct hire or RPO firm?
A temporary staffing agency stays the legal employer of the worker it places. A direct hire or RPO firm helps you hire someone who becomes your own employee from day one. We cover this distinction in detail here.
How much do temporary staffing agencies typically charge?
Most bill an hourly rate that includes a markup over the worker’s pay, commonly in the 20% to 75% range depending on the role and industry. None of the agencies on this list publish a standard rate card; expect a custom quote.
Can a temporary worker be hired permanently?
Yes, this is common and usually called temp-to-hire or contract-to-hire. Most agencies charge a conversion fee if you hire the worker directly, often on a sliding scale tied to how long they’ve already worked the assignment.
Do temporary staffing agencies work with small businesses?
Most do, though a few, like Express Employment Professionals, specifically build their model around small and mid-size business needs. Larger global firms like Randstad and Adecco tend to be a better fit for higher-volume, recurring staffing needs.
How long does it take a staffing agency to fill a temporary role?
It depends heavily on the role. General labor and light industrial roles can often be filled within a day or two, especially through app-based platforms like PeopleReady’s JobStack. Specialized or credentialed roles typically take longer.
Is it better to use a large national agency or a local, regional one?
It depends on what you’re staffing. National firms bring scale, technology, and consistency across locations. Local and franchise-based agencies, like Express or Spherion’s individual offices, often bring closer relationships and market-specific knowledge. Neither is universally better.
What should I check before signing with a temporary staffing agency?
Confirm they specialize in the type of role you’re filling, ask directly about their markup or fee structure, and clarify who handles compliance items like workers’ comp and background checks. Our full guide to how temporary staffing works covers what to expect from the arrangement.
Does RediRecruit offer temporary staffing?
No. RediRecruit is an RPO firm, meaning the people we help you hire become your direct employees from the start, not ours. If your need is genuinely short-term or seasonal, one of the 11 agencies above is a better fit. If a role you’ve been calling “temporary” has actually turned into a permanent need, that’s usually when it’s worth comparing the two models directly.