Staffing agency Randstad on Thursday announced a second quarter fall in turnover of 5% but an increase in profit of 73% to €63m.

June was ‘robust’, CEO Ben Noteboom said in a statement. There was growth in the market for flexible workers in Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Hong Kong, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.

Turnover in the Netherlands fell 4%. Profit was up in the US and the company made gains in rising markets such as China and India.

Randstad, which is the second largest staffing agency in the world, is seen as a barometre of economic activity in the countries in which it operates.