Open Assembly unit, Fulcrum merge to form provider of ‘virtual bench’

Open Assembly’s “future of work” consulting arm merged with HR technology startup Fulcrum Workforce Solutions Inc. The resulting firm — Bench Talent Cloud — aims to create virtual benches of skilled freelancer talent for enterprises.

The merger was facilitated with a new investment led by Communitas...

Staffing hours remain down over year: SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator

US temp staffing hours edged up 0.9% in the week ended April 20; however, they remained significantly below last year’s level, according to the latest SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator report.

Commercial staffing hours rose 0.9% week over week, while professional staffing hours rose 1.0%. Both were...

Compensation gains grow faster than expected

Growth in compensation rose faster than expected, CNN reported. The Employment Cost Index for the US rose a seasonally adjusted 1.2% in the three months ended in March, up from 0.9% in the fourth. Economists had expected first-quarter growth to come in at 0.9%. There is concern that faster compensation...

Trucking firm’s lawsuit challenges new IC rule

The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, filed a complaint in the US District Court for the District of New Mexico, challenging the US Department of Labor’s new rule on when workers can be classified as independent contractors.

Representing the family-owned company...

Daxtra snaps up PivotCX to improve hiring process for recruiters and HR

Daxtra, a global provider of AI-enriched recruitment software, acquired PivotCX, a talent acquisition and HR communications platform based in Indianapolis. The deal closed April 24. 

The combined company aims to streamline and enhance the hiring process for recruiters and HR professionals. ...

BDV Solutions buys seasonal labor provider Arkansas Global Connect

BDV Solutions, a Greenville, South Carolina-based provider of employment-based immigration services to foreign nationals, acquired Arkansas Global Connect, a Conway, Arkansas-based seasonal labor provider to US businesses.

As part of the deal, Arkansas Global Connect founder and CEO Dana Deree will now...

Paredes Inc. pays $84,740 in IC misclassification suit

A Maxwell, Texas-based mobile home transportation company paid $84,740 in back wages for misclassifying 32 laborers and drivers as independent contractors, the US Department of Labor reported.

The company, Paredes Inc., operating as Superior Service, failed to pay the affected employees their wages for...

How to help nurses use AI: Cross Country Healthcare

A nuanced perspective among US nurses toward AI integration has emerged, with more than half expressing reservations and 38% questioning its potential benefits for the nursing field, according to a survey by healthcare staffing provider Cross Country Healthcare Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN).

While a minority recognize...

DE&I: Moving forward amid ‘diversity fatigue’

Interest in DE&I programs across the country appears to be waning, with significant consequences to companies and the people they serve. Managing Editor Katherine Alvarez discusses the current environment and ways the staffing ecosystem can push forward in a Staffing Industry Review article.

Robert Half cites marketplace caution, Q1 revenue down 13.4%

Caution in the marketplace continued in the first quarter, Robert Half Inc. (NYSE: RHI) reported. It also cited a stabilization trend.

Still, the professional staffing provider reported first-quarter revenue fell 13.4% on an adjusted basis, which excludes the impact from billing days and foreign currency...