MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - Milwaukee’s Manpower Incorporated reports a 62 percent drop in its quarterly earnings, compared to the same time the year before. The employment staffing firm reported earnings of $29 million from October through December, down from $76 million the previous year. For stockholders, earnings dropped from 97 cents a share in late 2008 to 37 cents a year later. Despite the decline, Manpower CEO Jeff Joerres says the firm sees solid evidence of improving employment trends in nearly all areas where it operates. And for each week that passes, Joerres says Manpower is more confident that the current recovery will sustain itself. And he says the company’s U.S. operations are seeing the highest levels of year to year growth trends.
In the current quarter, Joerres says Manpower expects its first year to year revenue growth since the third quarter of 2008. Also Tuesday morning, Manpower said it will acquire the professional staffing firm of Comsys IT Partners for $431 million. It will bring Manpower’s total number of worldwide employees to over 25,000.
