Contract recruitment has become the focal point of the majority of our high-profile UK recruitment clients operating in the US. Requirements and timeframes to hire in the recruitment world are condensing by the day. The staffing and recruitment industry provided job and career opportunities for around 11 million employees in the US in 2024, with popular occupations in sectors including Industrial, Engineering, Technology, Healthcare and more.
In this article, we will highlight reasons why you should consider placing contractors in the US recruitment market and how to achieve that growth.
1. A Larger and Less Saturated Market
The US dominates the staffing industry and is expected to grow 10% between 2025 and 2030. The US is ranked as the largest staffing market in the world, worth $180.2 billion in 2026, according to Staffing Industry Analysts.
The UK only generates 8% of global staffing revenue but surprisingly is more saturated than the leading US market. According to the 2024 figures released by the Office of National Statistics, there were over 32,000 recruitment agencies operating in the UK, vs approximately 25,000 in the US. This presents a tremendous opportunity to bring your knowledge of contract recruitment to a less competitive and more receptive market.
By tapping into the US contract market, you have a significantly larger talent pool and deals to chase due to the sheer size of the country. To put it into perspective, California alone produced more gross domestic product (GDP) then the UK in 2025, and that’s just the profitability of one state.
2. Double Your Margins in the US
Everything is bigger in the US, including the margins (or markups as they’re called in the UK).
From our experience of working with UK staffing agencies, the average margin in the UK is 15-20%, with some going as low as 8% to secure deals. In the US, we have seen margins between 25-45%, with many going in at 35%. So, when you compare UK vs US recruiting, consultants in the US are doing the same duties they would be doing in the saturated UK market but for double the margins. Why do more work for less?
3. Seize the New Age of Contigent Talent
Contract recruitment in the US has never been more lucrative for agencies, with the number of temporary and contract employees hired by staffing companies totalling 2.2 million on average a week in 2024. The rise in remote work has accelerated this US contingent workforce expansion. According to Robert Half’s 2025 State of U.S. Hiring Survey, 63% of employers planned to increase the number of contract professionals on their teams, highlighting the continued demand for flexible talent solutions. With the number of contract workers and intentions to hire them only on the rise, the time to get into the US contract market is now.
4. Offer Flexible Solutions
Pay attention to the shifts and trends in the market. When times of uncertainty arise like a financial downturn, often businesses disregard their plans for permanent vacancies and contract demand goes into overdrive. Offering a contract solution in the US alongside your UK offering makes your business not only more adaptable but means you can scale up and down easily to service your client’s changing needs.
Not forgetting that investors are attracted to and will pay a higher multiple for businesses that can show international experience and the ability to service both permanent and contract recruitment.
5. Recurring Revenue
Placing only direct roles can create fluctuations in revenue. Extending to contract recruitment in the US allows you to build strong and steady recurring revenue forming stronger relationships from constant contact as contracts are often extended.
Growing US Salaries Translates to Higher Margins
If you are a recruiter who has not yet entered the US staffing industry, the rising salaries make the market an even more attractive destination for growth. According to Jobvite, 32% of job seekers said a decrease in compensation or pay cut would motivate them to start looking for a new job, making it the single biggest trigger for seeking new opportunities in 2025. The higher salary your candidate receives, the greater margin potential.
According to Robert Half’s 2025 Salary Guide analysis, salaries across key US professions increased by an average of 3% year over year, with Finance & Accounting leading growth at 3.6% and Marketing & Creative roles rising by 3.4%.
Furthermore, there has been an increase in demand for specialised talent across AI, machine learning and cybersecurity, with salaries projected to increase between 5% and 10%.
We have witnessed agencies who traditionally specialise in perm, seeking to expand into contract recruitment in these specialized roles to capitalise on consistent growth and diversify their business portfolio. So, if you want to grow your recruitment agency, contract recruitment in the US could be your answer.
You Find the Candidate; We Sort Out the Rest
It’s easier than you think to start making contract placements anywhere in the US, in fact you can access the US contract market right now from your UK office. But how?
By using Workwell Global as your Employer of Record to compliantly onboard, engage, and provide benefits and payroll to your US contractors. This means all you must focus on is sourcing the contract talent for US clients to seize the higher margins.
At Workwell Global, we’ve been helping recruitment agencies set up their contract recruitment solutions in North America for three decades. Find out how we can help you start contract recruitment in the US via a free strategy call.