UK – Demand for IT developers and engineers up, biotechnology vacancies rise 36%

IT development and engineering vacancies in the UK increased by 13% during the year ending 31 August 2017, according to data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) and Vacancysoft.

The data showed that overall IT vacancies increased by 5.8% year-on-year, with IT management roles...

EU – Euro area unemployment reaches lowest rate since 2009

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 9.1% in August 2017, stable compared to July 2017 and down from 9.9% in August 2016.  This remains the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since February 2009, according to figures from Eurostat, the statistical office of the...

Switzerland – Government to allow more foreign workers from outside EU as demand for experts rises (Reuters)

Switzerland will allow more foreign specialists to be recruited from countries outside the EU, a move aimed at giving companies access to a bigger pool of qualified workers, reports Reuters. On Friday, the Swiss government agreed to allow 3,500 five-year “B” residence permits next year from countries...

UK – Norman Broadbent H1 revenue and profits down as it continues restructuring

Executive search and recruitment firm Norman Broadbent (NBB: LSE) announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2017 with revenue of £3.29 million, a decrease of 2.2% from £3.36 million last year.

UK – Ikea to acquire human cloud firm TaskRabbit

Furniture retail giant Ikea announced that it had agreed to acquire TaskRabbit, an on-demand services platform that connects users with freelancers, or “taskers”, to do “odd jobs” such as furniture assembly and moving.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected...

Denmark – Heidrick & Struggles to buy Amrop Denmark in $8.4 million deal

US-based Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., an executive search and leadership consulting firm, struck a deal to acquire Amrop Denmark, a Copenhagen-based provider of executive search and leadership consulting.

The deal is estimated at $8.4 million, according to a filing with the US Securities...

UK – Post-Brexit immigration system must allow for EU workers of all skill levels, REC says

There are not enough UK nationals who are willing and able to fill the low-skill roles currently filled by EU nationals, according to a new report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

The report, Ready, willing and able? Can the UK labour force meet demand after Brexit?, adds that changing...

UK – Uber licence withdrawal was disproportionate, says Prime Minister (BBC)

Prime Minister Theresa May says the decision to stop Uber’s London operations was "disproportionate" and has put thousands of jobs at risk, reports the BBC. Last week Transport for London denied Uber a new licence to operate in London on the basis that the company is not a “fit and proper”...

Sweden – APM Terminals Gothenburg signs agreement with Adecco for temporary personnel (Marine Link)

Sweden-based terminal operator APM Terminals Gothenburg, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Adecco for the hiring of temporary personnel, reports the Marine Link. The hiring of the temporary workers will be to "address adhoc extra staffing needs at peak times" from the 1 October...

UK – Harvey Nash revenue up 9% in constant currency, but profits down

UK-based IT staffing firm Harvey Nash (HVN: LSE) has announced its preliminary results for the six months ended 31 July 2017. The company reported revenue £425.2 million, an increase of 9.2% in constant currency compared with the previous year, but a decrease in operating profit of 1.3% (at constant...