Jobs outlook fuels consumer confidence in December

The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index for the US rose in December following moderate decreases in both November and October, The Conference Board announced today. The index rose to a reading of 96.5 (1985=100), up from a reading of 92.6 in November.

Consumers’ outlook for the labor market...

Microsoft’s first term-limit period ending — Staffing quote of the week

GeekWire reports that Jan. 1 marks the end of the first 18-month period since Microsoft implemented an 18-month term limit for contingent workers. “The policy was announced and went into effect on July 1, 2014 and requires that external staff have a break in network and building access after 18 months...

PEO acquires Des Moines-based Portico Staffing

PEO Merit Resources acquired Portico Staffing, a staffing provider based in Des Moines, Iowa. The announcement was made in a blog post by the INS Family of Companies, the owner of Merit Resources.

The transaction is effective Dec. 28; terms were not disclosed.

Portico Staffing will continue operating out...

Work Opportunity Tax Credit extended, long-term jobless now eligible

The year-end spending and tax bill passed into law this month extends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for five years and adds long-term unemployed as a target group. The WOTC was renewed retroactively through Dec. 31, 2019.

The Federal tax credit is available to employers that hire individuals from certain...

Paychex completes Advance Partners acquisition

Paychex Inc. (NASD: PAYX), a provider of payroll services and PEO services, completed the acquisition of Advance Partners, a large payroll funding and outsourcing services provider to the US temporary staffing industry. Paychex announced the deal earlier this month.

Cleveland-based Advance Partners will...

Survey says nearly 87% of firms to hire in 2016

Nearly 87% of companies plan to add to their workforce in 2016, according to the “2016 Hiring Trends” report released by LaSalle Network, a staffing a recruiting firm headquartered in Chicago.

The majority of companies, 55%, plan to hire up to 10 people in 2016 and 21% plan to hire between 11 and...

The Staffing Group to use Labor SMART brand

The Staffing Group, Ltd. (OTCBB: TSGL) entered into a licensing agreement with industrial staffing provider Labor Smart (OTCQB: LTNC) that allows The Staffing Group to utilize the Labor SMART brand in all future openings. 

The firm also appointed Labor SMART COO Kimberly Thompson to its board of...

One-fifth of employees to seek new job in 2016

More than one-fifth of employees, 21%, plan leave their current employers in 2016, according to a survey from CareerBuilder. This is an increase from 16% in last year’s survey.

Looking at only workers between 18 and 34 years old, 30% expect to have a new job by the end of 2016, up from 23% last year....

Recruit strikes $1.6 billion deal for Dutch staffing firm USG

Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd. agreed to acquire Dutch staffing firm USG People NV for €17.50 per share or €1.42 billion (US$1.55 billion). Both firms rank among the largest in the world with USG’s operations in Europe; Recruit is based in Japan with operations in Asia, the US, Australia and UK.

“Recruit’s...

PEO Oasis Outsourcing acquires Doherty Employer Services

Professional employer organization Oasis Outsourcing acquired Minneapolis-based PEO Doherty Employer Services.

The transaction closed Dec. 18; terms were not disclosed. Doherty Staffing Solutions, owned by the Doherty family, will continue as a standalone business and is not part of the deal.

Doherty Employer...