than-expected December US jobs growth figures drew a sharp contrast with European numbers, but staffing executives who track labor demand on both sides of the Atlantic caution Europe's impact on jobs in the United States may yet prove deeper than it has so far. Executives in the temporary staffing and employment services field say anxiety about a likely recession in Europe keeps cropping up in conversations with clients and, in some cases, is putting hiring plans on hold. Faced with falling sales and profits in Europe, multinational clients may look for offsetting savings in other markets, including the United States. Randstad Holding NV, the world's second-largest temporary staffing provider by revenue, offers one anecdote to illustrate how Europe weighs on U.S. jobs. Randstad's recruitment outsourcing business, SourceRight Solutions, which handles large-scale hiring of as many as 500 people at a time, has a banking client that tentatively plans aggressive expansion in 2012. But the client's plans are being held hostage by Europe. “There's still caution around Europe and how they could impact the US,” said Joanie Ruge, Randstad senior vice president and chief employment analyst. “That is (clients') biggest concern right now, though they seem optimistic about all the economic indicators in the US moving in the right direction.” Uncertainty persists even as the US economy improves by many measures. US manufacturing grew at its fastest pace in six months in December - in sharp contrast to the euro zone. Pending home sales are the highest since April 2010 and US consumer confidence is at an eight-month high. Friday's employment report improved that picture. The US economy added 200,000 non-farm jobs last month, 50,000 more than expected, and the jobless rate slipped to 8.5 percent, the lowest since February 2009. Recruitment in financial services has slowed and is likely to be “lighter” this year, said Scot Melland, Chief Executive of Dice Holdings Inc, which runs specialized jobs websites focused on professional categories. “We've seen job postings for the industry as a whole decline over the last six months,” Melland said. “It's really caused by the uncertainty that the industry is facing (from) the European debt crisis and some regulatory uncertainty here in the United States.” __
