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An employment agency is a company that matches workers to open jobs. The first employment agency in the United States was opened by Fred Winslow who opened Engineering Agency in 1893. It later became part of General Employment Enterprises who also owned Businessmen's Clearing House (est. 1902). Another of the oldest agencies was developed by Katharine Felton as a response to the problems brought on by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.

Main article: Recruiter

A third party recruiter can work on their own or through an agency, and acts as an independent contact between their client companies and the candidates they recruit for a position. They can specialize in client relationships only (sales or business development), in finding candidates (recruiting or sourcing), or in both areas. Most recruiters tend to specialize in permanent or full-time, direct hire positions or contract positions, but occasionally in both.

Main article: Temporary work

A temporary agency may be distinct from a recruitment firm, which seeks to place permanent employees, but there is often a large overlap: temporary workers may go on to become permanent employees; or workers a company intends to hire as a permanent employee may start out as trial temporary worker.

In the UK the temporary worker is technically employed by the recruitment agency whilst working on site for the client who pay the bills. The agency is responsible for paying the temporary worker plus paying employers national insurance to the government and setting aside holiday pay (working time directive or WTR (regulations)). This total cost then has a profit margin added and is charged per hour to the client. The temporary worker fills in timesheets (often online) and is paid by BACS on a weekly basis. Some industries in the UK are more heavily regulated by the gangmaster regulations.

Many temporary agencies specialize in a particular profession or field of business, such as accounting, health care, technical, or secretarial.

These offices are usually located in many colleges and universities worldwide.

• Talent agent
• Staffing

• American Staffing Association

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