Staffing agencies in Albuquerque: 95 offices, New Mexico's leasing registration and the cost of sick leave

This report is for Albuquerque-area employers choosing an agency, job seekers comparing agencies, and B2B sellers whose customers are staffing firms.

Albuquerque staffing agencies in Census data

Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, Albuquerque, NM Metro Area (CBSA 10740), NAICS 56131 (Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services) and NAICS 56132 (Temporary Help Services).

"Not reported" here doesn't mean withheld. The Census Bureau published the totals but flagged them as high-noise: the noise it adds to protect confidentiality changed the value by 5% or more. The flag comes from the small placement and search segment, so we leave the metro totals out.

What the temp help figures show

The temp help rows are low-noise for employment, so they give a reliable picture of most of the market:

A temp agency employs the people it places, so the 2,522 include workers on assignment at clients across the metro. That works out at about 32 per temp office and about $54,700 in payroll per employee, above the US figure for temp help of about $48,600 (our calculation from the same Census file). Payroll per employee isn't a wage: it's a year's payroll over a March headcount. A higher figure often reflects more technical, clerical or professional placements and fewer short day-labor assignments.

Where they are and how big

Bernalillo County's 68 temp offices reported 2,286 employees, a low-noise figure; Sandoval County, which includes Rio Rancho, has 10 temp offices.

The Census Bureau doesn't publish most classes for the two codes combined, but the temp rows fill in: 28 temp offices have 1 to 4 employees, 8 have 5 to 9, 11 have 10 to 19, 17 have 20 to 49, 4 have 50 to 99 and 9 have 100 to 249.

These are establishments with paid employees, not companies; self-employed recruiters aren't counted, and professional employer organizations (NAICS 56133, 5 more establishments) are counted separately.

New Mexico rules to check

The department's list of licensing boards includes no board for employment or placement agencies; the Employee Leasing Program is the registration that applies to staffing-type firms.

Worked example: sick leave in the bill rate

Illustrative example. The company, pay rate and markup are invented; the accrual rate is New Mexico's.

Mesa Lab Services (mesalab.example) brings in 25 lab technicians through an agency for 26 weeks at 40 hours: 1,040 hours each, at a $20.00 pay rate and a 35% markup ($27.00 bill rate).

The agency pays sick hours, but nobody bills the client for them, so they come out of the markup: here, 3.33 of the 35 points. An agency that quotes a low markup without allowing for sick leave will either raise its rate later or cut corners. Ask how it's priced, and if you convert a temp, ask what happens to the hours already accrued.

How to vet an agency in Albuquerque

1. Decide the type: temp for projects and peaks, temp-to-hire for roles you want to keep, placement or search for permanent hires.
2. Check registration and licenses on the Regulation and Licensing Department's license verification page.
3. Ask for proof of workers' compensation and general liability, naming your company.
4. Get pay, markup, sick leave, overtime and conversion fees as separate lines.
5. Read reviews on ClearlyRated's Albuquerque listings and call two references.

Job seekers can also find employers directly through New Mexico Workforce Connection centers, which serve the Central New Mexico region.

Selling to Albuquerque staffing agencies

With 95 offices, this is a market to research account by account rather than by list. The 9 temp offices with 100 to 249 employees and the 17 with 20 to 49 are the volume buyers of payroll, sick leave tracking, screening, safety training and workers' compensation. The 17 placement and search offices are small and owner-run. Sort agencies by the work they post (technical and lab, office, healthcare or industrial) and pitch the payroll side before the new year, when many agencies review their rates. For method, see how to build a prospect list; Bebop finds agencies that match a description and explains why each fits. Sellers working the local building trade may also want construction companies in Albuquerque.

Subject: Sick leave balances for [agency]'s temps

Hi [first name],

I saw [agency] has [number] contract roles open around Albuquerque this month.

New Mexico's sick leave law accrues an hour per 30 worked for every temp, and tracking balances across short assignments and conversions is fiddly. Our payroll add-on accrues, caps and reports it per worker and per client.

Worth a look before your year-end rate review?

[Your name]

Local sources

Next step: for the codes these agencies file under, see the NAICS code for a staffing agency.