CDI Corp. News Release (02/28/12)

CDI Corp. today reported results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2011. For the fourth quarter, the company reported revenue of $268.0 million, an increase of 8.0% versus the year-ago quarter. CDI Corp. reported a fourth quarter net loss of $0.7 million, compared with a net loss of $14.9 million in the prior year quarter.

For the year, the company reported revenue of $1.060 billion, a 14.4% increase over $926.3 million reported in 2010. Net income in 2011 increased to $14.8 million, versus a net loss of $10.9 million in 2010. For the first quarter ending March 31, 2012, the company anticipates revenue increases in the range of 4% to 6% compared with the year-ago first quarter. Beginning in the first quarter 2012, CDI will report on three operating segments: Professional Services Staffing; Management Recruiters International Inc.; and Global Engineering and Technology Solutions.

Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. News Release (02/28/12)

Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. today announced financial results for its fourth quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2011. The company reported 2011 net revenue of $527.8 million, a 7.0% increase over the previous year, with the Americas region up 12.1%. Consolidated net revenue was $127.2 million in the fourth quarter, the same as in the 2010 fourth quarter. Year over year, net revenue increased 4.3% in the Americas for the quarter.

The net loss was $4.1 million for the quarter, compared with net income of $5.2 million reported for the fourth quarter in 2010. The reported net loss for 2011 was $33.7 million, compared with net income of $7.5 million reported for 2010.

Wall Street Journal (02/28/12) Eric Morath; Tom Barkley

Orders for long-lasting U.S. goods fell a bigger-than-expected 4.0% in January, as demand for a broad array of products declined, the U.S. Commerce Department reported today. Manufacturers’ orders for goods designed to last at least three years decreased to a seasonally adjusted $206.09 billion. The 4.0% drop was much larger than the 1.1% decline economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected. Before January, durable-goods orders had increased the three previous months, including gains of 3.2% in December and 4.2% in November. Orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft declined by 4.5% in January—the biggest drop in a year—suggesting concern among businesses about the uneven economic recovery.

Austin American-Statesman (Texas) (02/27/12) Tom Krisher

Automobile sales are soaring, and auto plants are in need of workers, but the newfound success is straining the factory network of the automakers, as well as the companies that make the thousands of parts that go into each vehicle. Auto executives are hesitant to add too many workers. Still, carmakers and parts companies added more than 38,000 jobs last year, reaching an annual average of 717,000. Automakers have announced plans to add 13,000 jobs this year, mostly on night shifts. However, many parts suppliers are having trouble finding people with the right skills.

FINS (02/27/2012) Damian Ghigliotty

The home improvement chains Home Depot and Lowe’s are hiring temporary workers to meet demand during the busy spring season, and they note that temporary workers can view seasonal employment as opening the door to a permanent, full-time position. Home Depot says around 50% of the seasonal workers hired last year were given permanent positions. The company is hiring 70,000 temporary workers, having filled 20% of the positions already, while Lowe’s is taking on 40,000 seasonal workers. Seasonal employees will work 20 to 25 hours, with wages based on position, skills, and past experience, and job duration based on the market. The companies are accepting online applications for seasonal employees, and they are looking for applicants with customer service skills and previous experience in the retail or home improvement trades.