Uber targets commercial transport with acquisition

Uber acquired Otto, a 90-plus person technology startup focused on self-driving trucks, according to a blog post from Uber. Anthony Levandowski, Otto’s co-founder, will now lead Uber’s combined self-driving efforts across personal transportation, delivery and trucking in San Francisco, Palo Alto...

California PEO operator sentenced to prison

The operator of a California professional employer organization was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for mail fraud in connection with the misappropriation of millions of dollars in workers’ compensation funds, the US Department of Justice reported.

Gregory Chmielewski pleaded guilty...

Higher education jobs rise in Q2 at fastest pace since 2012, report finds

Higher education posted the largest second-quarter increase for the sector since 2012, according to the higher education employment report from job search site HigherEdJobs. The number of jobs in higher education rose 1.8% compared to the same period a year ago, gaining about 31,300 jobs, the report...

Lyft not for sale, spokesperson says (The Verge)

Human cloud ride-sharing firm Lyft is not for sale, a spokesperson told The Verge. News reports emerged last week that Lyft had without success approached several companies — including General Motors, Apple, Google and Uber — in hopes of finding a buyer. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly said he...

Mexico’s economy contracts in second quarter (CNN)

The Mexican economy shrank for the first time in three years in the second quarter, CNN reports. However, on an annual basis, Mexico’s eonomy still grew 2.5%, ahead of about 1% growth in the US, according to CNN.

Judge rejects $100 million Uber misclassification settlement

A $100 million settlement in a lawsuit claiming Uber misclassified drivers as independent contractors was rejected Thursday by US federal Judge Edward Chen.

The deal would have ended one of the most noteworthy independent contractor misclassification lawsuits. Uber and plaintiffs attorneys brought forward...

Allegis Partners appoints new leader for US operations

Executive search firm Allegis Partners announced Michael Bergen, global practice leader of the firm’s human resources practice, took on the additional role of managing partner of its US operations, effective immediately.

Greg Richter, VP and global head of in-house and solution practice groups for Allegis...

Malone Workforce Solutions acquires franchise staffing company

Malone Workforce Solutions acquired Nextaff LLC, a franchise-model staffing agency based in Kansas City.

The transaction was completed Aug. 1; terms were not disclosed.

Nextaff will continue to operate under the current brand and the franchise business model as a division of Malone Workforce Solutions,...

Monster’s largest shareholder opposes sale to Randstad

MediaNews Group Inc., the largest shareholder in Monster Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: MWW), opposes the sale of the jobs site to global staffing provider Randstad Holding nv, stating the deal undervalues the company. Earlier this month, Randstad agreed to acquire Monster for an enterprise value of approximately...

Study finds 13% of insurance firms to decrease temp use over next 12 months

While insurance companies report optimistic hiring plans, fewer companies will require temporary staff, according to the semi-annual US Insurance Labor Outlook Study conducted by The Jacobson Group and Ward Group.

The study’s survey found 13% of insurance companies plan to decrease their use of temporary...