UK – Unemployment falls to lowest level since 2005

The unemployment level in the UK was 5.0% for the 3 months to April 2016, its lowest level since August to October 2005, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Between the three months to January 2016 and February to April 2016, the number of people in work increased, the number of unemployed...

France – Violence breaks out during labour law protests, strikes close Eiffel Tower

Protesters and French police clashed in Paris on Tuesday over a planned change of labour laws that also saw a union strike close down the Eiffel Tower on the same day.

Several hundred masked protesters threw stones and makeshift bombs at police. Police used water cannons and tear gas to quell the demonstrations....

UK – Brexit would directly damage UK pharma industry

If the UK votes to leave in the upcoming EU referendum, it could cause irreparable damage to the UK pharmaceutical industry, according to specialist pharmaceutical and life sciences recruitment consultancy NonStop Recruitment.

NonStop Recruitment’s analysis found that the UK leaving the EU would mean...

Netherlands – Firm warns professionals are running out of time to pay fines

Resident tax payers in the Netherlands are running out of time to avoid huge fines, according to contracts management specialists CXC Global.

CXC Global outlined how professionals based in the Netherlands with hidden foreign savings and investments have until 1 July 2016 to avoid being fined a maximum...

Sweden – Unemployment rate continues to fall in May

The unemployment rate in Sweden fell in May declining to 7.3% from 7.5% during the same period last year, according to data from the Swedish Public Employment Service Arbetsförmedlingen.

The data shows that 348,000 people were registered as unemployed at the end of May. It is 7,000 fewer than a year...

Europe – Antal opens 3 new offices across Europe

Professional and managerial recruitment firm Antal International has opened up three new offices across Europe located in the UK, Portugal and France.

The opening of the new offices comes after Antal has expanded with offices in India, Singapore, Netherlands and UAE at the beginning of the year....

UK – Servoca revenue growth boosted by recruitment

Specialist recruitment and outsourcing firm Servoca (SVCA: LSE) reported revenue for the six months ending 31 March 2016 of £34.4 million, an increase of 22.5% compared with £28.1 million during the same period last year. 

Netherlands – Randstad acquires online staffing platform

Randstad has acquired Berlin-based twago, an online staffing platform for freelance work.

Twago was founded in 2009 and has more than 500,000 registered workers.

In 2014, Randstad invested in twago through the Randstad Innovation Fund.  Randstad suggests that the acquisition will enable their clients’...

World – Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

Microsoft Corp. (NASD: MSFT) agreed to acquire LinkedIn Corp. (NYSE: LNKD) in transaction valued at $26.2 billion, the companies announced today.

Microsoft and LinkedIn entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire LinkedIn for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued...

World – ManpowerGroup Global Hiring Outlook for Q3 2016 indicates continued but slowing hiring

Manpower Group has released its Q3 2016 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, which interviewed nearly 59,000 employees in 43 countries. The outlook shows that most employers across the globe plan to increase hiring over the next three months, though at a slower pace than recent quarters.

The research showed...