Minneapolis area posts lowest jobless rate in October among large US metros

The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area in Minnesota and Wisconsin posted the lowest unemployment rate among all large, US metropolitan areas in October at 2.1%. The Cleveland-Elyria in Ohio posted the highest jobless rate among large metropolitan areas in October at 4.5%.

The lowest unemployment rate...

Jury sides with Tata in anti-American bias case (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg reported that a federal jury on Wednesday sided with Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. against four former employees who claimed they’d been discriminated against because they aren’t South Asian. The American workers had claimed the India-based IT services provider favored staffing...

No revision in new GDP estimate for US; third-quarter growth remains at 3.5%

US real gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in the third quarter, according to the second estimate of GDP growth released today by the US Commerce Department. The new estimate is unchanged from the previous estimate.

The general picture of economic growth remains the same; upward revisions...

Employees want holiday bonuses, but survey finds 46% of companies don’t give them

A bonus ranks as the top item employees would most like from their companies during the holidays, according to the 2018 Holidays at Work Survey commissioned by Spherion Staffing Services.

Forty-one percent ranked a bonus as the number one item they would most like. However, 46% said their company does...

Background screening firm Cisive acquires Asia-based business

Cisive, a global background screening provider headquartered in Holtsville, NY, purchased the pre-employment screening division of Hong Kong-based Blue Umbrella. The transaction closed Nov. 26; terms were not disclosed.

The pre-employment screening division of Blue Umbrella, under the leadership and direction...

Private equity firm invests in Leadpoint; Employbridge co-founder joins board

Private investment firm Copley Equity Partners completed a minority investment in Leadpoint Business Services, a staffing provider to blue-collar production environments.

The transaction closed Oct. 1; financial terms were not disclosed. Copley has a minority ownership with co-founders Frank and Diana...

Oregon courier service to pay $3.2 million in driver IC misclassification case

A federal court ordered the owner of a Portland, Ore.-based courier service to pay $3.2 million for failing to pay minimum wage and overtime to drivers misclassified as independent contractors, the US Department of Labor announced.

The US District Court for the District of Oregon entered a consent...

ACSESS safety program participants get C$1.3 million in workers’ comp rebates

The Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services announced participants in its Workplace Safety and Insurance Board safety groups program earned C$1.3 million in workers’ comp premium rebates by reducing the frequency and severity of workplace injuries in 2017.

Ninety corporate...

Global staffing revenue at $466 billion, SIA forecasts 6% growth

The global staffing industry generated an estimated $466 billion of revenue worldwide in 2017, according to the latest update to Staffing Industry Analysts’ global staffing market forecast. Three countries — the US, Japan and the UK — comprised a majority of the revenue, and the top 17 countries...

Staffing index holds steady in November

Staffing employment remained relatively unchanged, contracting 0.1%, in the week of Nov. 11 to 18 — holding at a rounded value of 103 for the fifth consecutive week, according to the American Staffing Association’s staffing index. It is the first time since 2014 that the index reading has been this...