Jobless claims average rises; initial claims at highest level in more than a year

The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 268,250 last week, up 10,250 from the previous week’s unrevised average, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Department of Labor.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of...

‘Ban the box’ laws and what to do

More and more states and other jurisdictions are enacting “ban the box” laws. Jason Kunschke discusses the situation and what staffing firms should consider in the current issue of Staffing Industry Review magazine. Kunschke is an attorney with Michael Best and Friedrich LLC.

Canada records 353,000 job vacancies in Q4

Canadian employers reported 353,000 job vacancies in the fourth quarter, Statistics Canada reported today. The job vacancy rate — a measure of job openings compared with total employment — was 2.3%.

Full-time work accounted for almost two-thirds of job vacancies in Canada.

Among the 10 broad occupational...

Kelly revenue up 2%, gross margin improves

Kelly Services Inc. (NASD: KELYA) revenue rose 2.2% in the first quarter, or 4.6% in constant currency, and gross margin improved to 17.3%.

First-quarter revenue in Kelly’s OCG segment rose by 13%, fueled by growth in business process outsourcing and contingent workforce outsourcing. Kelly OCG provides...

Canadian temp staffing revenue to edge up 1%

The Canadian temporary staffing industry will see a slight increase in revenue this year, according to the “Canadian Staffing Industry Outlook: 2016 Update” report released by Staffing Industry Analysts. The industry will see revenue edge up 1% year over year in 2016 to reach a market size of...

RCM revenue falls 2%

RCM Technologies Inc. (NASD GM: RCMT) — a provider of engineering, IT and healthcare staffing — reported revenue fell 1.6% in its first quarter ended April 2. Net income also declined.

Obama names Bryant Howroyd to advisory board

President Barack Obama appointed Act-1 Group founder and CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd to the board of advisors for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“As a product of the HBCU, I know the value to our society and economy from these institutions,” Bryant Howroyd...

Communication, problem solving top areas for tech pros to improve

Nearly half of chief information officers see communication and problem solving as top areas of improvement for tech professionals, according to a survey released by Robert Half Technology.

Twenty-eight percent of CIOs surveyed named communication skills as the top area where tech professionals could...

SelecSource names president and COO

SelecSource Inc. named Tracy Williams as president and chief operating officer. The Atlanta-based staffing firm made the announcement on Tuesday.

Williams has 25 years of experience including as acting executive VP and chief strategy officer for Commdex Consulting, market president for State Bank &...

Adecco revenue up 4% on organic basis

First-quarter revenue at Adecco, the world’s largest staffing firm, rose 4% on an organic basis. However, gross margin edged down 10 basis points.

In North America, revenue rose 7%, up 1% in constant currency, to €1.15 billion (US$1.30 billion).