POWER OF ATTORNEY


   Each person whose signature appears below designates and
appoints WILLIAM W. SHERERTZ, JACK D. WILLIAMSON, JR., and PETER
J. SCHENK, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-
fact and agents to sign the annual report on Form 10-K of Barrett
Business Services, Inc., a Maryland corporation, for the year
ended December 31, 1993, and to file said report, with all
exhibits thereto, with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Each
person whose signature appears below also grants full power and
authority to these attorneys-in-fact and agents to take any
action and execute any instruments that they deem necessary or
desirable in connection with said report, as fully as he could do
in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that the
attorneys-in-fact and agents or their substitutes may lawfully do
or cause to be done.

   IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this power of attorney has been executed
by each of the undersigned as of the 8th day of March, 1994.

Signature                                    Title


/s/ WILLIAM W. SHERERTZ                 President and Director
William W. Sherertz


/s/ JACK D. WILLIAMSON, JR.             Vice President-Finance, 
Jack D. Williamson, Jr.                 Treasurer, and Director


/s/ ROBERT R. AMES                      Director
Robert R. Ames


/s/ JEFFREY L. BEAUDOIN                 Director
Jeffrey L. Beaudoin


/s/ ANTHONY MEEKER                      Director
Anthony Meeker


/s/ STANLEY G. RENECKER                 Director
Stanley G. Renecker


                                                       EXHIBIT 24