Netherlands – Actief Werkt! acquires temporary staffing firm Prima Personeel

Dutch temporary employment agency Actief Werkt! (Active Works!) announced that it has acquired Prima Personeel, a temporary staffing firm based in the Netherlands.

According to both companies, the acquisition is aimed at cooperation between the two companies and strengthening each other's services. ...

Germany – StepStone acquires e-learning platform Studydrive

Berlin-based recruitment group StepStone announced that it has acquired German-based e-learning platform Studydrive.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Studydrive, founded in 2013 by Philipp Mackeprang and Sven Gasper, allows more than 700,000 students from 100 universities from Germany,...

UK – Financial service and technology boost Scottish employment, APSCo finds

Professional hiring activity in Scotland increased by 7% in 2018, according to a report from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

Key sectors influencing this growth included financial services and technology with vacancies in banking up 23% and demand for IT analysts up 46% in...

UK – Gross profit up 13% at global staffing firm Robert Walters, but UK growth sees slowdown

Robert Walters plc, a UK-based global staffing provider, reported gross profit rose 13% in constant currency during the fourth quarter, with Asia Pacific and Europe posting the strongest growth.

The company, which has operations in the US, noted investment in expanding its global footprint has continued...

UK – More freelancers, 64%, believe ‘no-deal’ Brexit would negatively impact them

A majority, 64% of UK freelancers believe a “no deal” Brexit would negatively impact their business, according to a survey of 660 freelancers by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed. When asked a similar question 12 months ago, only 44% of freelancers reported that Brexit...

Germany – Economy may be in recession (Business Insider)

The Germany economy may be in a recession, according to Business Insider. German industrial production fell by 1.9% in November, and year-over-year production hit a low of -4.6%, the biggest drop since 2008, according to Business Insider. German exports fell 0.4% in November. Data from Eurostat published...

Europe – Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, to slash thousands of jobs in Europe (France24)

France24 reports that thousands of auto sector jobs are set to be lost across Europe, Jaguar Land Rover and Ford. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India-based Tata Motors, will axe approximately 4,500 mostly UK jobs, after a slump in Chinese sales last year. Meanwhile, US carmaker Ford said it planned a major...

UK – Government to review tax avoidance crackdown

The UK Government has promised that it will review the controversial tax avoidance crackdown on employees amid concerns that it could bankrupt contractors.

According to The Telegraph, Liberal Democrat MP Ed Davey secured an amendment to the Loan Charge in the House of Commons on Tuesday which would require...

Netherlands – Value Enhancement Partners acquires Actos Group

Amsterdam-based private equity firm Value Enhancement Partners (VEP) has acquired a majority interest in Dutch staffing firm Actos Groep (Actos Group).

Actos Group was created through the merger of specialist recruitment firms InQuest and Doxa. The company has offices in The Hague, Tilburg and Antwerp,...

Europe – EU28 unemployment falls to its lowest since 2000, euro area rate falls 0.8%

The EU28 unemployment rate stood at 6.7% in November 2018, down from 7.3% in November 2017. This remains the lowest rate recorded in the EU28 since the start of the EU monthly unemployment series in January 2000, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union....