UK – InterQuest completes acquisition of London-based staffing firm Albany Beck

Specialist IT staffing firm InterQuest Group announced the completion of the acquisition of 95% of the issued share capital of Albany Beck Consulting Limited, a staffing and consulting firm based in London.

InterQuest Group had first announced last month that it would acquire Albany Beck. The consideration...

UK – New zero-hours contracts rules comes into force in Wales for care workers

Employers of domiciliary care workers in Wales will now have to give their care workers a choice of contract after a three-month period of employment after new legislation came into effect this week.

The legislation addresses the use of zero-hours contracts and means that employers will no longer able...

Europe – Euro area unemployment rate falls to lowest level since 2008

The euro area (EA19) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.5% in February 2018, down from 9.5% in February 2017. This is the lowest rate recorded in the euro area since December 2008, according to Eurostat, the statistical body of the EU.

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

Lithuania – One in two employers plan to raise salaries this year

Half of Lithuanian businesses are planning to raise wages for their employees this year, according to survey data from the Bank of Lithuania.

The Bank of Lithuania’s survey revealed that 50% of enterprises that promise to raise wages is the largest in over two years. Last year’s survey showed this...

South Africa – Advtech expands to East Africa with acquisition of Makini Schools

South African recruitment firm AdvTech which also operates in the education sector, announced that it has acquired Makini Group, a chain of schools based in Kenya.

The acquisition adds nine schools, five campuses, boarding facilities and approximately 4,100 students to its portfolio.

ADvTech’s expansion...

Netherlands – Quanta Consultancy launches Dutch subsidiary

UK-based staffing firm Quanta Consultancy announced that it has launched its new subsidiary Quanta Consultancy Services BV based in Delft, Netherlands.

Quanta provides contract and permanent recruitment solutions to employers in the renewable energy, life sciences, and ICT sectors.

“The Netherlands is...

UK – Acas publishes new guidance on agency workers with contribution from APSCo

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) has unveiled new guidance on agency workers which was developed with input from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies.

The guidance comes after Acas’ helpline revealed that many agency workers were not aware of their legal...

UK – Companies have until the end of today to report gender pay gap

UK firms with over 250 employees have until midnight tonight to report their gender pay gaps.

Many firms have already published their gender pay gap data. According to The Guardian, more than 9,000 employers have already filed their gender pay gap report. The deadline for public sector employers to file...

UK – Recruitment director charged with fraudulently claiming more than £370,000 from employer (Burton Mail)

A financial director of a UK-based recruitment agency has been charged with falsely claiming more than £370,000 from his firm, reports Burton Mail. The director, David Moss, appeared before magistrates in Derby where the court heard that he allegedly committed fraud by dishonestly abusing his position...

World – Restated Q3 earnings to increase net loss at Staffing 360 Solutions

Staffing 360 Solutions Inc. (NASD: STAF), a staffing provider operating in the US and UK, confirmed fourth-quarter revenue rose 29.1% to USD 59.5 million, gross margin improved to 20.0% and fourth-quarter net loss was $7.5 million. The company had reported preliminary results earlier this month....