Investors interested in Business Services stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Barrett Business Services (BBSI) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Business Services sector should help us answer this question.

Barrett Business Services is one of 317 companies in the Business Services group. The Business Services group currently sits at #7 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Barrett Business Services is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BBSI's full-year earnings has moved 0.1% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, BBSI has gained about 26.4% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Business Services group have gained about 15.7% on average. This shows that Barrett Business Services is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Business Services stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is ICF International (ICFI). The stock is up 26% year-to-date.

In ICF International's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 4.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Barrett Business Services belongs to the Outsourcing industry, a group that includes 12 individual companies and currently sits at #82 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 14.9% this year, meaning that BBSI is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, ICF International belongs to the Government Services industry. This 3-stock industry is currently ranked #29. The industry has moved +21.7% year to date.

Barrett Business Services and ICF International could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Business Services stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.