10 Largest Recruiting Firms In The United States

Recruiting firms like those found on our list below act as a middle man in the business world. While there is a difference between a staffing company and a recruitment firm, the majority of both provide the same services these days.

From temporary positions to temp-to-hire to direct hire opportunities, recruiters help find employees for their client’s companies. There is professional recruiting, which includes positions with salaries less than $100,000, and executive recruiting, which includes positions with salaries of more than $100,000.

The staffing industry generated over $140 billion in the US in 2019. 85% of that revenue was from the temporary/contract positions they fill. The United States is the largest single market for temporary staffing in the world.

Our list of the ten largest recruiting firms includes some international companies. We have determined the ten largest based on the revenue they accrued in the United States. If they have a main headquarters outside of the US, the global revenue is also noted.

1. Allegis Global Solutions Jobs (Overview)

2. Randstad North America Jobs (Overview)

3. Robert Half International Jobs (Overview)

4. Kelly Services Jobs (Overview)

5. Adecco Staffing USA Jobs (Overview)

6. Express Jobs (Overview)

7. ManpowerGroup Jobs (Overview)

8. Act 1 Group Jobs (Overview)

9. TrueBlue Jobs (Overview)

10 Largest Professional Recruiting Firms in the United States

1. Allegis Global Solutions. Hanover, Maryland

   2020 Annual Revenue: $10.4 billion
   Current CEO: Todd M. Mohr
   Number of Employees: 19,000+

   The Allegis Group was founded in 1983 by Steve Sisciotti and Jim Davis as Aerotek. They began with the goal of serving the aerospace and defense industries. A goal they met successfully, earning them over $1M in revenue in the company’s first year.

   With success like that, it wasn’t long before they began to expand. By 1989, they were serving the automotive industry as well. By 1995, they were international, opening an office in Ontario. As they continued to expand, the Allegis Group was formed.

   Allegis Group now serves a number of industries, including technology and engineering. They were one of the top engineering staffing firms in the early 2000s.

   Their brands/subsidiaries include Aerotek, TEKsystems, Allegis Global Solutions, and Allegis Partners. All of their subsidiaries focus on recruitment and staffing but focus on specific industries.

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2. Randstad North America. Atlanta, Georgia

   2020 Annual Revenue: $6.4B; $25B globally
   Current CEO: Karen Fichuk (USA)
   Number of Employees: 38,000+

   Randstad is the largest staffing company in the world, but only the second largest in the US in terms of revenue earned within the United States. With 4,800 branches across 38 countries, this Dutch company is continually at the top of the list.

   Founded in 1960 by Frits Golfschmeding, Randstad began with temporary staffing, much like the rest of the companies on the list. By 1967, they had already expanded into four countries. They had over 257 branches in four European countries by the end of 1985.

   It wasn’t until 1993 that they expanded into the United States, acquiring two US-based companies. A year later, they had spread across the continental US. They were even a sponsor of the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia, where they based their US headquarters.

   Frits retired in 1998, but it didn’t stop the company from continuing to grow. By 2007, they were present in 20 countries across the globe. They have expanded into 18 more countries over the last 14 years.

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3. Robert Half International. Menlo Park, California

   2020 Annual Revenue: $5.12B
   Current CEO: Keith Waddel
   Number of Employees: 13,000+

   This global human resource consulting firm was founded in 1948 by Bob and Maxine Half. Robert “Bob” Half, the company’s namesake, had a history of speaking out against discriminatory recruiting and staffing practices in a time where that was unheard of.

   Despite being purchased by Mac Messmer in 1986, the company still holds to Bob’s vision today. In 2020, they were named “The Best Employer for Diversity” and “America’s Best Employer for Women” by Forbes.

   They have been recognized as one of Fortune’s “Most Admired Companies” every year since 1998 and hold a number of other awards. Their current CEO was named to Staffing Industry Analysts’ list of North America Staffing 100.

   While they are a global company opening their first international office in London in 1973, this is still a US-based company that is on the top of many lists.

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4. Kelly Services. Tory, Michigan

   2020 Annual Revenue: $4.5B
   Current CEO: Peter Quigly
   Number of Employees: 7,800+

   Kelly Services is a recognizable name to anyone who has been job hunting over the last several years. Founded in 1946 by William Russell Kelly, the company was originally called the Russell Kelly Office Service.

   They began by providing temp services to local companies in Michigan, with temp workers completing typing work within the Kelly offices. Eventually, they began sending the workers out to client offices to fill in positions temporarily.

   The girls became widely known as “Kelly Girls.” Leveraging the phrase, they rebranded as Kelly Girl Service in 1957.

   As they began expanding their services and taking on more male employees, they rebranded to Kelly Services in 1966. This was when the company truly started to expand. They took things internationally in 1968 with an office in Toronto, following with another in Paris in 1972.

   Kelly was named in the “Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs” in 2021 and received the 2020 MMSDC ACE Award “Corporation of the Year in Professional Services Staffing.”

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5. Adecco Staffing USA. Jacksonville, Florida

   2020 Annual Revenue: $4.3B; $23.6B globally
   Current CEO: Alain Dehaze
   Number of Employees: 30,000+

   Adecco was created in 1996 when Swiss staffing firm Adia and French staffing firm Ecco merged. In 2000, they acquired Olsen Staffing and expanded into the United States. The company’s global headquarters is located in Zurich, Switzerland, but their US headquarters is in Jacksonville, Florida.

   They currently have 450 locations across 60 countries and are continuing to expand. Globally, they are not far behind Randstad in revenue.

   Like many of the other companies on this list, they provide temporary placements, temp-to-hire opportunities, and direct hires. Adecco serves many industries, from accounting and finance to call center and customer service.

   Uniquely, Adecco provides benefits for their temporary workers. They are considered a military-friendly employer and have won awards for working with military personnel and their spouses.

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6. Express. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

   2020 Annual Revenue: $3.4B
   Current CEO: William H. Stoller
   Number of Employees: 526,000+

   Founded in 1983 by William “Bill” Stoller, Robert “Bob” Funk, and James Gray after the dissolution of Acme Personnel. They generated $2M in revenue their first year despite the economic downturn of the time. The company only continued to grow.

   In 1985, Express Employment began franchising. Within five years of opening their doors, they were ranked among the top staffing companies in the US. The company had its first $1B in 1999, a milestone they have consistently hit every year since.

   With 830 locations worldwide, Express Employment is still gaining success. Founders Bill Stoller and Bob Funk are still active within the company. Bill Stoller is acting as CEO and Chairman of the Board while Bob Funk is acting as President and Vice Chairman of the Board.

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7. EmployBridge. Atlanta, Georgia

   2020 Annual Revenue: $3.1B
   Current CEO: Micheal Miles
   Number of Employees: 5,600

   One of Atlanta’s largest privately-owned companies, EmployBridge, has 400 locations across the US. The company was created in the 90s when several staffing organizations were merged to create one large company. EmployBridge has continued expanding and acquiring companies and currently holds many subsidiaries.

   In 2015, they merged with Select Staffing, keeping both companies operating under their existing brands. Co-founder Tom Bickes stepped down as CEO in January 2020; the board named Michael Miles as his successor.

   EmployBridge provides both temporary and permanent placements in many industries, including the manufacturing and transportation industries.

8. ManpowerGroup. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

   2020 Annual Revenue: $3B; $18B globally
   Current CEO: Jonas Prising
   Number of Employees: 30,000+

   Manpower was founded in 1948 by Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld after they found themselves in need of temporary staffing services. Both lawyers were in need of immediate and temporary secretarial help with no way to get it. So, they created their own solution.

   It turns out they weren’t the only ones in need. By 1952, they had started expanding across the United States. Continuing to find success, the company expanded internationally in 1956 with offices in Canada and the UK.

   They opened another office in France the following year. Manpower currently has more than 3,000 offices in over 80 countries and owns hundreds of subsidiaries.

   The company provides contingent, permanent placement, and contract-to-permanent opportunities. They partner with organizations like the National Association of Manufacturers, American Staffing Association, AARP, and more.

   The current CEO, Jonas Prising, took over in 2014.

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9. Act 1 Group. Glendale, California

   2020 Annual Revenue: $2.8B
   Current CEO: Janice Bryant Howroyd
   Number of Employees: 2,800+

   ActOne, sometimes referred to as ACT.1, was started in 1978 by Janice Bryant Howroyd. It is the largest private minority-woman-owned workforce management company in the US. ActOne is listed as #2 on the BE 100s, Black Enterprise’s list of the largest black-owned businesses.

   Founder and CEO Janice is the first African-American woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. She is a fascinating woman who is said to have left her hometown in North Carolina with $1500 before founding and building a multibillion-dollar corporation.

   ActOne is a group of companies that provides staffing solutions, workforce management, and business solutions. They service the federal government, having staffed FEMA, Fortune 500 companies, and businesses of all sizes in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Asia.

   They provide staffing needs in healthcare, technology, STEM, and more.

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10. TrueBlue. Tacoma, Washington

    2020 Annual Revenue: $2.2B
    Current CEO: Patrick Beharelle
    Number of Employees: 5,200

    TrueBlue was originally founded as Labor Ready, Inc. in 1989 by Glenn A Welstad in Kent, Washington. The company rebranded to TrueBlue in 2008. Labor Ready became PeopleReady, one of five different brands under the TrueBlue umbrella.

    TruBlue and one of its brands, PeopleScout, have an active role in the Ready to Work Business Collaborative (RTWBC). This organization works with the long-term unemployed, under-employed, veterans, and people with disabilities to pair them with employers who are willing to hire them.

    For all the good TrueBlue does, they are not without their controversy. Founder and then CEO Glenn Welstad left the company in 2000 amid scandal. The controversy did not end when he and the company parted ways, as lawsuits were filed.

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Author

Samantha Goddiess

Samantha is a lifelong writer who has been writing professionally for the last six years. After graduating with honors from Greensboro College with a degree in English & Communications, she went on to find work as an in-house copywriter for several companies including Costume Supercenter, and Blueprint Education.