Staffing agencies in Delaware: the state market, Delaware Paid Leave and how to choose an agency

This report is for Delaware employers choosing a staffing agency, job seekers comparing agencies, and B2B sellers whose customers are staffing firms in the First State.

Delaware's staffing market in Census data

The figures cover the state of Delaware and two industry codes: NAICS 56131 (Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services) and NAICS 56132 (Temporary Help Services). Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.

Where the agencies are

The Census Bureau's 2023 county file places them as follows:

The county rows add up to 226; the other 2 establishments aren't shown in the county file. The Kent and Sussex employee counts carry the Census Bureau's high-noise flag, meaning the noise added for confidentiality moved them by 5% or more. The statewide row is the striking one: the Census Bureau files employers "without a fixed location within a state (or of unknown county location)" as statewide, and here that's 22 temp help establishments with 4,042 employees, 36% of the state's staffing payroll headcount. These are likely agencies whose workers are spread across client sites rather than run from one branch.

Three industries, one dominant

Average pay is our calculation. Temp help holds 89% of the employees because temp agencies employ the people they place: the Census definition says those workers "are employees of the temporary help services establishment." A warehouse associate in Middletown or a call center temp in Wilmington counts on the agency's payroll. Delaware's temp help average of $39,116 is 20% below the US average of $48,635 for the industry, which suggests a mix weighted toward hourly industrial, warehouse and service work.

The Census Bureau withholds the classes from 50 up for the two codes combined, but the temp help row is published: 12 temp locations have 50 to 99 employees, 15 have 100 to 249, 5 have 250 to 499, 3 have 500 to 999 and 1 has 1,000 or more (the total less the published classes).

Each figure counts establishments with paid employees rather than companies; owner-only recruiting businesses aren't in it. Professional employer organizations (NAICS 56133, 15 more establishments here) are excluded, the snapshot is the week of March 12, 2023, and SEC EDGAR lists no exchange-listed staffing company with its business address in Delaware.

Delaware rules that change the price

Delaware's labor title (Title 19 of the Code) has no chapter licensing employment or staffing agencies, so the checks below are on you.

Worked example: temp agency or PEO under Paid Leave

Illustrative example. The company and pay are invented; the rates are the statutory 2026 contribution rates.

Brandywine Fixtures (brandywinefixtures.example) in New Castle County has 30 employees of its own and 12 long-term temps from an agency, each paid $17.50 an hour for 40 hours a week.

With the temp agency, the agency is the employer, so it remits that $3,494.40 and its markup should already cover its share; ask whether it deducts the worker's half. If Brandywine instead hired the 12 and moved all 42 people to a PEO, Brandywine would be the employer for Paid Leave and the contributions would be its own cost. Either way the money is in the price. One more question to ask: since eligibility needs 12 months and 1,250 hours with a single employer, how would converting a long-term temp to your payroll affect that worker's leave?

How to choose a Delaware agency

1. Decide between temp, temp-to-hire, direct hire and a PEO, using the employer test above.
2. Check the entity on the Division of Corporations' entity search and ask for workers' compensation and general liability certificates.
3. Ask for pay rate, markup and conversion terms in writing, and whether the bill rate includes Paid Leave contributions.
4. Read reviews and call references: ClearlyRated lists Wilmington-area agencies with client and talent ratings.
5. Pilot first with a small group before your peak.

If you're looking for work, the pay floor is $15.00 an hour wherever you're placed in Delaware, and you can ask the agency whether it deducts part of the Paid Leave contribution from your pay.

Selling to Delaware staffing agencies

The new Paid Leave program gives sellers a timely angle: payroll, leave administration and compliance tools for agencies managing contributions and claims for workers spread across client sites. The statewide-coded agencies, with thousands of workers and no fixed county, are prime targets for scheduling, timekeeping and mobile onboarding. Build the list from ClearlyRated and the ASA directory, then read job postings to separate warehouse and industrial firms from office and healthcare recruiters. Researching each one takes time; Bebop finds agencies that match a description and explains why each fits. For the full method, see how to build a prospect list.

Subject: Paid Leave claims for workers on assignment

Hi [first name],

Now that Delaware Paid Leave is paying benefits, agencies are fielding leave requests from temps working at client sites across [counties].

We [what you do, e.g. track eligibility hours and handle claims paperwork] for agencies your size, so branch staff don't have to.

Would 15 minutes on [day] be useful?

[Your name]

Local sources

Next step: see the wider state economy in the report on companies in Delaware.