Finance
UK recruiter Hays posts bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly fees
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 14, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 14, 2026
Jan 14 (Reuters) - British recruiter Hays posted a slightly bigger-than-expected drop in second-quarter net fees on Wednesday, driven by weak hiring activity in technology and engineering sectors in its largest market, Germany.
The recruiter expects pre-exceptional operating profit for the six months ended December to be about 20 million pounds ($26.89 million), representing a 21.6% drop from a year earlier.
Hays, like other recruiters, is facing a global hiring slump, with permanent hiring particularly challenging as new job openings decline, weak employer confidence delays appointments, and candidates remain reluctant to switch jobs.
The company reported a 10% drop in its second-quarter like-for-like net fees. Analysts were expecting a 9% drop, according to a company-compiled poll.
($1 = 0.7438 pounds)
(Reporting by Nithyashree R B and Rishab Shaju in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Net fees refer to the total income a company earns from its services after deducting any expenses or costs associated with those services.
Employer confidence is a measure of how optimistic employers feel about the economic environment and their ability to hire new employees.
Like-for-like comparison is a method of evaluating financial performance by comparing similar metrics from different time periods or entities, excluding any factors that could distort the results.
A hiring slump refers to a period when there is a significant decrease in the number of job openings and hiring activity across various sectors.
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