Private equity firm acquires majority stake in owner of Fastaff, U.S. Nursing

Private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners LP acquired a majority stake in Healthcare Staffing Services in a recapitalization transaction. Healthcare Staffing Services specializes in provifidng nurse staffing on a “rapid response” basis. It owns Fastaff Travel Nursing and U.S. Nursing Corporation...

Korn Ferry to acquire HR consultancy Hay Group for $452 million

Executive search firm Korn Ferry International Inc. (NYSE: KFY) entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hay Group, a Philadelphia-based human resource consultancy, for approximately $452 million, including approximately $252 million in cash and $200 million of Korn Ferry stock.

Korn Ferry will...

Caldwell buys back shares held by DHR

The Caldwell Partners International Inc. (TSX: CWL.TO) purchased the 5.4% of its shares held by Chicago-based executive search firm DHR International Inc. DHR had made overtures to acquire Caldwell earlier this year, but agreed to cease its overtures and sell back to Caldwell shares that it owned.

Caldwell...

Vancouver has Canada’s fastest-growing metro economy this year

Vancouver will post the fastest growing metropolitan economy this year among the 13 census metropolitan areas covered by The Conference Board of Canada’s Metropolitan Outlook: Autumn 2015. Toronto, Winnipeg, Halifax, and Montreal round out the top five spots, with all on track to post economic...

Jobless claims average edges down to lowest level in a month

The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance fell by 750 last week to a total of 271,750 from the previous week’s unrevised average, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Department of Labor. This is the lowest level in more than a month....

Canadian staffing index extends downward trend in August

The Canadian staffing index, a measure of staffing activity in Canada, fell to a reading of 102 in August; down 6% from an index value of 108 in July. The index fell 9% year over year from a reading of 112 in August 2014.

The index value of 100 corresponds to the size of the industry in July 2008, when...

Web: H-1B visa fee may soon disappear for some firms

Computerworld reports a $2,000 fee for H-1B visas paid mostly by India-based IT service companies may soon go away. The publication reports the fee was adopted in 2010 but expires on Oct. 1 at the start of the new federal fiscal year. There currently doesn’t appear to be a push to extend it.

Client companies much less satisfied with staffing firms, new survey says

Staffing buyers’ satisfaction with staffing firms fell sharply, while buyer use increased, according to the 2014 Opportunities in Staffing report by CareerBuilder and Inavero.

“While this year’s study identifies opportunities to improve client satisfaction, it also highlights an increase in client...

The Advanced Group CFO takes on chief operating officer role

The Advanced Group, a professional staffing, consulting, and outsourcing company headquartered in Chicago, named CFO Jim Johnson as chief operating officer. Johnson will be responsible for the company’s staffing business units across the US, as well as the organization’s shared services functions....

MRINetwork taps search exec to lead Canada office

MRINetwork, a subsidiary of CDI Corp. (NYSE: CDI) appointed Mark Cosens as general manager of its Toronto office, the first company-owned office in Canada.

Cosens has 30 years’ experience in Canadian business development and recruitment. He served as managing director for Korn Ferry International in...