People: Pontoon, Swift, Insperity, TalentRISE, Russell Reynolds and more

The Pontoon division of Adecco Group, which provides MSP and RPO services, appointed Neil Jones to the position of managing director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Jones, a member of the executive team that launched Pontoon in 2013, most recently was Adecco Group’s CEO for Australia and New Zealand....

MSI International acquires healthcare IT staffing firm

MSI International, a 48-year-old recruiting firm based in Atlanta, acquired Masters IT LLC, a recruiting firm for healthcare IT professionals. This acquisition enables MSI to provide contract IT professionals for the first time since 2008, when it sold its two IT divisions.

The transaction closed Jan....

Human cloud firm Honor shifts to employees

Honor, a San Francisco-based human cloud firm that provides home care workers, announced in a blog post that it will transition workers to employees from independent contractors.

“By making our Care Pros employees, we can offer them greater security, workers comp, and paid sick leave,” co-founder...

Uber gains among business travelers; GM rolls out Maven

Business travelers used Uber more than rental cars, according to one report. Separately, General Motors is using workers from its recently acquired human cloud Sidecar assets on a new brand called Maven.

In the Uber news, business travel expense software firm Certify reported spending on Uber overcame...

Labor market polarization is widening, ManpowerGroup reports

The polarization of the labor market is widening with workforce skills not keeping up with business needs, according to a new report from ManpowerGroup Inc. (NYSE: MAN) called “Human Age 2.0: Future Forces at Work.”

Forces such as shifting demographics, rapid globalization and technological revolutions...

Jobless claims rise, but still low by historical standards

The four-week moving average of US unemployment claims rose by 6,500 in the week ending Jan. 16 from the previous week’s revised average to a total of 285,000.

While the four-week moving average smooths volatility, total claims rose by 10,000 to a total of 293,000. USA Today reported numbers reached...

Web: Inspection ‘blitz’ in Ontario nabs 238 employers in violation

A government inspection “blitz” focused on precarious employment found 238 workplaces in violation, the Toronto Star reported.

Joint employment? Feds issue new guidance

New guidance on joint employment was issued today by the US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

The department examines employment relationships in hundreds of investigations a year, wrote David Weil, wage and hour administrator, in a blog post. The guidance is intended to help educate employers...

Canadian staffing index declines in December

The Canadian staffing index fell in December, continuing a trend of moderate year-over-year declines. The index, which measures staffing activity in Canada, fell to a reading of 100 in December, down from a reading of 101 in December 2014.

The index value of 100 corresponds to the size of the industry...

The Judge Group names direct placement president

The Judge Group, a Philadelphia-based staffing provider, promoted Stephen Green to president of Judge Direct Placement. He will be responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the entire Direct Placement division, which includes more than 65 recruiters nationwide across six regional offices. ...