Aug. 5, 2021 IT Staffing Report Explore In 2020, IT staffing gross margins proved to be remarkably resilient despite the impact of Covid-19 on the global economy. IT staffing gross margins hold steady in 2020 Kevin Chen | August 3, 2021 IT staffing gross margins have historically followed trends in the economy, with gross margins trending downward since the Great Recession in 2008. However, in 2020, IT staffing gross margins proved to be remarkably resilient despite the impact of Covid-19 on the global economy. SIA tracked IT staffing gross margins of 12 publicly traded companies in its recently published IT Staffing Gross Margin Trends report and found that IT staffing gross margins contracted by only 14 basis points in 2020.Click to find out more Adecco acquires global engineering consulting firm Akka Technologies August 3, 2021 The Adecco Group announced that it is acquiring Akka Technologies, a global engineering and consulting firm based in Brussels, Belgium, at an enterprise value of €2.0 billion (US$2.36 billion). Reuters reported the deal is the largest in Adecco's 25-year history. Adecco said the acquisition would make it the No. 2 player in the global engineering R&D market.Akka Technologies had posted revenue of €1.50 billion in 2020.Click to find out more IT employment reaches new high, but growth rate decelerates amid talent shortage August 3, 2021 IT employment in the US reached a new high in June, the TechServe Alliance reported. However, the rate of growth continues to slow.The organization found the number of tech employees in the US rose by 0.19%, or 10,000 jobs, in June to more than 5.36 million. Year over year, the number of tech jobs increased by 4.34% or by 223,200."IT employment rose for the 11th consecutive month reaching a new high," TechServe Alliance CEO Mark Roberts said.Click to find out more Singapore-based firm gets US foothold with investment in AGS Tek Partners August 3, 2021 Singapore-based IT consulting firm Kris Infotech announced its acquisition of a 60% stake in Colorado-based IT consultancy and staffing firm AGS Tek Partners. The transaction provides Kris Infotech with a foothold for expansion plans into the US market and the rest of North America.Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Click to find out more H.I.G. Capital portfolio company acquires California-based IT staffing provider August 4, 2021 Private equity firm H.I.G. Capital announced Milestone Technologies, one of its portfolio companies, acquired Software Management Consultants Inc., a Glendale, California-based provider of IT services and staffing."The acquisition of SMCI continues Milestone's strategy of consolidating the fragmented IT services and staffing industry," said Andrey Vakhovskiy, managing director at H.I.G.Click to find out more Contract workers ratify first union contract with Google supplier HCL America August 4, 2021 The United Steelworkers Union on July 29 announced that a group of 65 contingent workers at a Google facility in Pittsburgh have ratified their first union contract with Google contractor HCL America Inc. The union had previously announced a tentative agreement."After close to two years of hard work, patience and solidarity from our members at HCL, we are proud of what we achieved in this agreement," USW International President Tom Conway said.The contract lasts three years and aims to improve wClick to find out more Private equity firm acquires Optimum Healthcare IT August 4, 2021 Private equity firm Achieve Partners acquired Optimum Healthcare IT, a provider of healthcare IT staffing and solutions focused on implementation and integration of headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.The acquisition is the first in Achieve Partners' Putting America Back to Work Fund. Optimum Healthcare IT's offerings include Optimum CareerPath, a paid apprenticeship program that helps to develop healthcare IT workers.Click to find out more The emergence of direct sourcing in contingent hiring — The Staffing Stream August 4, 2021Click to find out more SIA’s 2021 40 Under 40 industry leaders list August 4, 2021 The 2021 list of 40 Under 40 in staffing is now online. Taking up challenges and complexities and inspiring the ecosystem with new ideas, these trailblazers are making their mark in a space that has seen dramatic change over the past year."Congratulations to this year's 40 Under 40 honorees," said Subadhra Sriram, editor and publisher at SIA.Click to find out more Industry execs discuss why they merged their two IT staffing firms August 4, 2021Click to find out more