UK – SThree first quarter gross profit growth boosted by Continental Europe, but sees weakness in UK market

International recruitment firm, SThree (STHR: LSE) published a trading update for the first quarter ended 28 February 2018 with group gross profit up 8% year-on-year in constant currency.

Group gross profit was boosted by growth in Continental Europe and sector-wide growth, particularly in Life Sciences,...

Belgium – Federgon supports temporary work in the public sector

Federgon, the Belgian federation of staffing agencies, announced that it supports a recent government decision to allow temporary work in the public sector.

Earlier this month, the Council of Ministers approved the Royal Decrees, which now allow both federal and state-owned companies to use agency work. Federgon...

Ireland – Unemployment down in Q4 2017

Unemployment in Ireland was down for the fourth quarter of 2017, marking the twenty second quarter in succession where unemployment has declined on an annual basis, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 6.4% for Q4 2017. During the...

France – Baker fined for breaking labour rules by opening business 7 days a week (BBC News)

A French baker has been fined €3,000 (£2,650) for opening his business seven days a week, breaking labour rules, reports BBC News. The baker, Cédric Vaivre, who runs the only bakery in Lusigny-sur-Barse in north-east France, kept his bakery open all week during the summer to serve tourists. Vaivre...

People – BPS World, Meraki, Staffing 360 Solutions, Resource Solutions

Kevin Green officially departed the Recruitment and Employment Confederation earlier this week, stepping down from his role Chief Executive and announcing that he has joined Maidenhead-based Total Talent Management firm BPS World as Non-Executive Director. Green had been Chief Executive for the REC since...

South Africa – Workforce Holdings full-year revenue up 4.6% organically

South African recruitment and outsourcing company Workforce Holdings (WKF: JSE) reported revenue last week for the year ending 31 December 2017 of ZAR 2.8 billion (USD 236.6 million), up 11.3% and up 4.6% organically compared to last year.

UK – InterQuest Group full year results down 5%, acquires staffing firm Albany Beck

Specialist IT staffing firm InterQuest Group (ITQ: LSE) reported revenue for the year ended 31 December 2017 of £135.9 million, down 5.3% compared to the previous year.

Netherlands – DPA Group postpones publication of annual results

DPA Group (DPA: NL), the Dutch staffing firm, announced today that it has postponed the publication of its annual results.

In a statement, the company said, “with the stricter requirements imposed on the audit of a listed company, this has meant that the production of the annual accounts has not yet...

UK – Optionis acquires First Freelance and First Umbrella

Professional services firm Optionis Group announced that it has acquired contractor accountancy firm, First Freelance Limited, and its sister umbrella company, First Five Projects Limited, which trades as First Umbrella.

First Freelance and First Umbrella, which were founded in 2013 and are based in London,...

Europe – Euro area employment up 1.6% in Q4 2017

The number of persons employed in the Euro Area (EA-19) increased by 1.6% in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared with the same period last year, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Eurostat’s figures also showed that employment increased by 1.5%...