Netherlands – ABU reports staffing growth

The total amount of hours worked by temporary workers in the Netherlands grew by 2% in the eighth period (weeks 29-32) of 2018, compared to the same period last year, according to the Dutch Federation of Private Employment Agencies (ABU).

ABU divides the year into four-week periods, with the eighth period...

France – Executive compensation up 2.7% in 2018, the biggest increase in six years

Salaries for executives in France rose by 2.7% in the first half of 2018, when compared to the same period last year, according to data from Expectra, a subsidiary of Randstad. This increase is the biggest in six years.

According to Expectra, the 2.7% increase in H1 2018 marks the eighth consecutive year...

UK – Contract Watch: Acorn awarded contract to supply temporary dairy workers to Yeo Valley

UK-based recruitment firm Acorn, which is owned by Synergie, announced that it has been awarded a new contract to provide temporary dairy workers to Yeo Valley, a dairy company based in Somerset, England.

Acorn has worked with Yeo Valley for several years already, with the new contract involving supplying...

UK – IPE Ventures acquires EMR Search & Selection Limited

UK-based specialist marketing recruitment agency EMR Search & Selection Limited announced that it has been acquired by IPE Ventures, the private equity arm of the IPE Group, from the Five Ten Group.

No financial details of the transaction were disclosed.

EMR, founded in 1994, provides marketing, digital,...

Belgium – Federgon: Temporary workers’ hours decline in July

The number of hours worked by temporary agency workers in Belgium in July decreased by 2.83% when compared to the same period last year, according to Federgon, the Belgian Federation of Staffing Agencies.

Both the white-collar and the blue-collar sector reported year-on-year decreases of 3.18% and 2.54%...

Europe – Euro area and EU28 unemployment fall to lowest rate since 2008, Eurostat finds

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.2% in July 2018, down from 9.1% in July 2017 and the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since November 2008, according to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat’s data also showed that the EU28...

UK – Report calls for minimum wage reform, warns of resentment among fixed-hours workers over higher minimum wage for zero-hours workers

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has warned that a higher minimum wage for zero-hours workers could create "resentment amongst fixed-hour workers”.

In its report, the IEA also called for an overhaul of UK’s minimum wage rate structure, by adjusting to one or two rates for all workers aged...

UK – Professionals says job satisfaction is far more important than salary

Twice as many professionals in the UK believe that enjoying their jobs (83%) is a better measure of career success, than having a high salary (42%), according to survey data from job board CV-Library.

CV-Library’s survey asked professionals across the UK how they felt about their career and whether...

Netherlands – Headfirst Source Group acquired by Beryllium BV

Beryllium BV, Dutch acquisition holding company with international investors, has acquired approximately 95% of the shares in HeadFirst Source Group NV.

HeadFirst Source Group’s major shareholders, including majority shareholder Value8 NV, have confirmed to HeadFirst Source Group the sale of their stake...

Belgium – Trixxo acquires Belgium-based Staffing

Trixxo, a Belgium-based company active in service checks with domestic workers, in home care, HR and training, announced that it has acquired  Beringen-based staffing firm Staffing, which ranked 35^th in SIA’s List of Largest Staffing Firms in Belgium for 2017.

Trixxo, also operates Trixxo Jobs,...