Adecco Group News Release (03/13/13)

Adecco reported revenues of €20.5 billion in 2012, down 4% organically from 2011. Its year-to-year North American revenues were up 8% organically to €947 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. The company’s general staffing revenues were up 7% year-to-year in constant currency, and it reported organic growth of 8% in its professional staffing segment. It also reported a 12% year-over-year organic increase for its North American information technology professional staffing segment, related to organic growth of 16% in the U.S. Revenues for its finance and legal and engineering and technical segments were up 4% each in constant currency, while the medical and science segment posted a 21% increase in revenue in constant currency. A 12% organic growth rate also was reported in permanent placement revenues.

Associated Press (03/12/13)

The U.S. Department of Labor reported on March 12 that job openings edged up 2.2% in January to 3.69 million, following on the heels of a close to 5% drop in December. However, layoffs hit their lowest point since 2001 in January, and the number of Americans quitting their jobs reached a more than four-year high, indicating that the U.S. job market is gaining strength. The professional and business services sector, which includes temporary jobs, posted the biggest increase in job openings, followed by retail. Although job openings are up 55% since the recession ended in June 2009, total hiring has climbed just 17% over the same period as employers are slow to fill vacancies.