Staffing agencies in Florida: 3,419 locations, where they are and the state rules that apply

This report is for Florida employers choosing an agency, job seekers comparing them, analysts sizing the state's staffing market, and B2B sellers whose customers are staffing firms.

Florida staffing agencies in Census data

The figures cover the state of Florida 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.

The industry rows come from the same Census state file. California (5,840 establishments) and Texas (4,644) are the only states with more.

Size: every class is published

In broader bands, 2,285 establishments have 1 to 19 employees, 671 have 20 to 99 and 463 have 100 or more. Of the 28 locations with 1,000 or more employees, 25 are temp help.

Why the employee numbers look so large

Two things inflate Florida's staffing headcount, and both come from how the Census Bureau classifies employers.

First, temp agencies employ the people they place. The Census definition says workers supplied by a temporary help firm "are employees of the temporary help services establishment," so the 195,001 in temp help are mostly temps on assignment at client sites, not recruiters.

Second, PEOs are in the same Census subsector (NAICS 5613, Employment Services) but a different industry, 561330. Florida's 592 PEO establishments report 1,684,968 employees, 45% of the 3,777,023 PEO employees in the US. Those are mostly client companies' staff, co-employed for payroll and benefits. The Census Bureau's methodology warns that employee leasing firms' employment and payroll may be reported where their payroll office is, so Florida's PEO count likely includes worksite employees in other states. If you pull the Census figure for all of NAICS 5613 in Florida, you'll get 1,918,405 employees; only 233,437 of them are in staffing agencies.

The usual limits apply to every figure here: County Business Patterns counts establishments with paid employees, not companies; self-employed recruiters are excluded; and employment is the week of March 12, 2023.

Where Florida's agencies are

These four metros hold 2,483 of the state's 3,419 establishments (73%). The next largest, North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, has 127. For local detail, see the reports on staffing agencies in Tampa and staffing agencies in Miami.

Public staffing companies headquartered in Florida

Kforce's 10-K reports over 1,600 associates and about 7,800 consultants on assignment at 31 December 2025. GEE Group's reports about 173 regular employees at 30 September 2025, with contract workers ranging from about 815 to 1,275 during the year, and service from 19 branch offices and four virtual locations. These are the two SEC-registered listed staffing companies with business addresses in Florida.

The Florida rules, in one table

Worked example: staffing agency or employee leasing company?

Illustrative example. The hotel and numbers are invented; it shows how the statute's tests work, not legal advice.

Florida's employee leasing definition excludes a "facilities staffing arrangement": an agency staffing a client function on an ongoing, indefinite basis, provided its assigned workers are no more than 50% of the workforce at the client's site, and no more than 20% of those staffing the function were the client's own employees just before the arrangement began. Coral Key Resort (coralkey.example) has 80 workers at its property and wants an agency to run housekeeping indefinitely.

In the second and third scenarios, the arrangement may be employee leasing, which requires a Florida license. Before signing an open-ended staffing deal, count both ratios and ask the agency whether it holds an employee leasing license.

How to choose an agency in Florida

1. Start in your metro. Most agencies are in the four big metros; outside them, ask which branch will recruit for you and how far away it is.
2. Match the specialty: health care staffing pools must be AHCA-registered, and day labor halls must meet the Labor Pool Act.
3. Ask about E-Verify, workers' compensation and liability, and get certificates.
4. Price at $15.00 or more, and agree how the rate changes when the indexed minimum takes effect each 1 January from 2028.
5. Compare client and worker reviews on ClearlyRated's Florida listings, and call references.

Job seekers: don't pay a placement firm to find you work, and know that day labor halls can't charge you for required safety equipment. CareerSource Florida's local career centers offer free job search help.

Selling to Florida staffing agencies

A statewide plan starts with the four metros, which hold 73% of the locations, then sorts by specialty using job postings: health care pools, day labor and light industrial, IT and professional, search. Florida's rules give each segment a compliance need: E-Verify and I-9 tools for every large employer, credential tracking for health care pools, pay and deduction statements for labor halls. Bebop can find the agencies that match a description in any part of the state and explain why each fits; how to build a prospect list covers the method.

Subject: Credential checks for [agency]'s pool

Hi [first name],

Florida requires a health care services pool to verify every worker's license and certification itself, and to keep the records.

For [agency]'s [number] active nurses' aides and nurses, our system checks each credential against the issuing board, flags anything expiring in the next 60 days and keeps an audit file ready for the Agency for Health Care Administration.

Would a quick check of your current roster be useful?

[Your name]

State sources

Next step: see Florida's largest employers, the clients these agencies serve, in largest employers in Florida.