Everee and ActivateStaff Report Finds 77% of Industrial Companies Have Switched Staffing Agencies Over Speed and Quality Concerns

New Industrial Staffing Report reveals how labor shortages, fragile loyalty, and modernization demands are reshaping the $900B industrial economy

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Everee, a leading payroll software built for staffing and gig work, in partnership with ActivateStaff, a leading developer of innovative staffing platform technology, today released the 2025 Industrial Staffing Report. Based on a survey of 310 U.S. hiring leaders in manufacturing, logistics, and construction, the report explores what drives clients to switch staffing agencies, how firms can protect revenue by staying indispensable, what businesses expect from staffing partners, and how technology is changing the industry.

According to the report, two-thirds of leaders (66%) say labor shortages are having a major impact on operations, yet 68% still plan to increase headcount this year. Most companies rely on staffing agencies to fill those gaps, but expectations are high.

"The report makes it clear that staffing agencies can secure revenue and retain clients by consistently delivering quality candidates and rapid fulfillment," said Brett Barlow, CEO at Everee. "At Everee, we're focused on helping agencies modernize payroll so they can attract and retain talent with tools like same-day pay. When agencies have the right infrastructure in place, they don't just fill jobs faster, they become indispensable partners to their clients."

Key Findings from the 2025 Industrial Staffing Report

The survey results show that companies continue to lean heavily on staffing agencies, but their expectations are high and their loyalty is limited.

• Speed is critical. 61% of companies expect open roles filled within 48 hours, and 13% expect them in under 24 hours.
• Loyalty isn't guaranteed. While many companies report satisfaction with their agencies, 77% have switched providers at some point, most often because of slow fills, unreliable workers, or poor communication.
• Temporary staffing is becoming standard. Almost every company surveyed (97%) uses temporary workers, often accounting for 5–20% of staff. Temps are most commonly used for seasonal peaks, covering absences, or as pipelines for temp-to-hire positions.
• There are ROI benefits to temporary staffing. More than a quarter (27%) of companies save 2,000–5,000 hours each year due to their use of temporary staffing agencies to fill labor gaps — the equivalent of up to three full-time employees.

"The fastest-growing staffing agencies today aren't winning because they're the cheapest, they're winning because they're the easiest to work with. Clients now expect real-time visibility into open jobs and candidates, reliable fill rates with minimal no-shows, and auditable compliance and training," said Rohan Jacob, CEO of ActivateStaff. "When agencies deliver that kind of seamless, digital-first experience, operational excellence becomes a true competitive advantage, one that keeps clients coming back and wins new business faster."

The report also points to how modernization will shape the future of staffing. Companies want partners who can fill roles quickly, ensure reliability, and provide better worker experiences. Everee and ActivateStaff work together to help agencies meet those expectations: Everee's automated payroll enables same-day pay that keeps workers engaged and reduces turnover, while ActivateStaff's workforce engagement platform provides clients visibility into their candidate pools, augments recruiter performance, confirms shifts in real time, and builds stronger talent pools. Together, these tools give staffing firms the ability to deliver speed, reliability, and modernization, the very factors industrial companies say they value most.

To view the full report, please visit everee.com/industrial.

About ActivateStaff
ActivateStaff is an end-to-end, mobile-enabled platform-as-a-service designed to streamline workforce and operational management, eliminating the need for a standalone Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It integrates customer, order, applicant tracking, workforce management, timekeeping, scheduling, and assignment management into a unified solution. The platform seamlessly connects with a broad array of payroll, billing, and accounting systems, providing real-time data, intuitive interfaces, and scalability. It empowers businesses to efficiently match talent to opportunities, optimize scheduling, and enhance operational visibility across teams and locations.

About Everee
Everee is payroll software built for staffing and gig work that allows companies to pay both W-2 workers and 1099 contractors as often as daily. With Everee's Flex Suite, managing payroll across multiple locations and rates is easy, even in the trickiest compliance situations. Companies can quickly integrate Everee with their own existing apps using Everee's REST APIs, webhooks, and embeddable components. Everee offers usage-based pricing, a pay card option, and payroll financing to help businesses save money and improve cash flow. For more information, visit www.everee.com.

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SOURCE Everee