RECRUITMENT specialist Hays reported falls in fees and pre-tax profits for the six months to December 31, today, but hailed a “resilient” performance.
Net fees fell 4% to £360.3m and pre-tax profits of £56.7m were 6% down for the group which operates a Liverpool office in Tithebarn Street’s Silkhouse Court.
But the group said it was a resilient performance due to its selective investment approach and strong cost control.
The UK returned to profit through its “successful delivery of significant cost reduction programme”, and it reported a strong performance in continental Europe and the rest of world, where net fees increased 14%.
Chief executive Alistair Cox said today: “I am pleased we have delivered such a resilient profit performance considering the fragile and rapidly changing environment we faced in the half.
“Looking ahead we expect overall conditions to remain fragile, bu we ahve seen an encouraging return to work in our key temporary and contractor businesses.”
