Randstad, the world’s second largest staffing agency, reported a large drop in second quarter profits on Thursday.

A sharp fall in earnings in several European countries were behind the decline, which was partly offset by 7% growth in the US.
Underlying second quarter Ebita profit was € 134.9m, down 12% on the same period in 2011. Revenue was up 10% at €4.3bn.
In a statement, chief executive Ben Noteboom said: ‘We still see a mixed picture in an uncertain environment, illustrated by growth in North America, Asia and Latin America and a gradual slowdown in Europe.’
The company did not give a full year outlook, saying ‘the first weeks of July indicated a somewhat weaker trend than in Q2 2012.’