The world's biggest temporary staffing group Adecco said today that its first-quarter net profit rose 12% to €112m.
The results were in line with analysts' expectations.
They showed that operating profit rose by 7% to €168m while sales went up 2% to €5 billion in the first three months of the year, Swiss group Adecco said.
"We are off to a good start in 2012," said chief executive Patrick De Maeseneire.
"First quarter 2012 revenues are nearly at the same level as in the first quarter of 2011, a solid result when considering the economic headwinds we face in Europe," he added.
The company said that in North America its revenue grew 1% over the period but in France, the group's biggest market, it dropped 10%.
Across Europe, revenue fell 9% in Spain and Portugal and also Switzerland. Sales rose 9% in the UK and Ireland, and grew 10% in Germany and Austria.
The group said it expects similar results for the second quarter, "with North America holding up, but Europe remaining challenging," said De Maeseneire.
