<PAGE>   1


                                                                       EXHIBIT 5



                 [ROBINSON, BRADSHAW & HINSON, P.A. letterhead]



                                  July 30, 2001

Personnel Group of America, Inc.
5605 Carnegie Boulevard, Suite 500
Charlotte, North Carolina 28209

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Personnel Group of America, Inc.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have served as counsel to Personnel Group of America, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation by the
Company of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement")
for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, relating to the offer and sale of up to 2,000,000 shares of
the Company's common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Shares"), to be
issued by the Company pursuant to the Personnel Group of America, Inc. 2001
Non-Qualified Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan").

         We have examined the Plan, the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
the Company listed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement (the "Charter")
and the bylaws of the Company listed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement
(the "Bylaws"), and such other corporate and other documents and records and
certificates of public officials as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for
the purposes of this opinion.

         We have assumed (i) the authority and genuineness of all signatures,
(ii) the legal capacity of all natural persons, (iii) the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, and (iv) the conformity to authentic
original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or
photostatic copies.

         Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and
limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares, if and when
originally issued and sold by the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions
of the Plan, and upon payment of the consideration payable therefor pursuant to
the Plan, will be legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will
represent validly authorized and outstanding shares of common stock of the
Company.

         We have assumed that the Company and those officers and employees that
may receive options to purchase Shares under the Plan will have complied with
the relevant requirements of the Plan and that all prescribed filings with
regulatory authorities, including any stock exchanges having jurisdiction, will
be effected in accordance with their respective requirements and that the
approvals of such regulatory authorities, including any stock exchanges having
jurisdiction, will have been granted prior to the issuance of any of the Shares.


<PAGE>   2


Personnel Group of America, Inc.
July 30, 2001
Page 2
--------------------------


         The opinions expressed herein are contingent upon the Registration
Statement becoming effective under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Charter
and Bylaws not being further amended prior to the issuance of the Shares.

         The foregoing opinions are limited to the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, and we express no opinion with respect to the laws of any
other state or jurisdiction.

         We hereby consent to the filing of a copy of this opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement.

                                       Very truly yours,

                                       ROBINSON, BRADSHAW & HINSON, P.A.

                                       /s/ Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.






