Is private equity still acquiring staffing companies in 2026?
Yes - consolidation continues even in a slow-growth market. Recent SIA daily coverage includes a healthcare staffing firm announcing it would go private in an acquisition by private equity firm Knox Lane, and SIA maintains a dedicated mergers-and-acquisitions database tracking deals across staffing and workforce solutions globally since 2014. SIA’s current research slate includes an analysis of acquirer priorities - what companies buying staffing firms actually screen for - and a valuation study asking who wins and loses in workforce solutions valuations.
What acquirers pay premiums for
The pattern across the research is consistent: durable client relationships with low concentration, contract and recurring revenue over one-time direct-hire fees, specialization in structurally growing verticals, modern technology infrastructure that scales without headcount, and clean compliance history. In a 1% growth market, buyers are not paying for the market - they are paying for the machine.
Why sellers are meeting them
Full-year 2025 revenue fell 8.5% industry-wide by ASA’s count, and while 2026 is stabilizing, founders who rode the 2021-2022 peak are recalibrating expectations. For owners without a succession plan, a professionalized buyer at a fair multiple beats grinding through another flat cycle.
The StaffingPulse view: whether or not you intend to sell, run your agency as if diligence starts next quarter - recurring revenue mix, client concentration, tech leverage, compliance hygiene. Those four numbers decide your multiple, and improving them is also just good operating.