Vietnam aids Harvey Nash

Recruitment giant Harvey Nash said the growth of its IT outsourcing business in Vietnam helped it to offset a 4 per cent decline in permanent recruitment in the UK and Ireland.

The group, which employs 4,000 people in 40 offices around the world, said it had performed ahead of expectations with revenue and gross profits up 10 per cent and 5 per cent respectively between 1 August and 29 November.

Chief executive Albert Ellis said: “The economic uncertainty throughout the world has meant that clients have tended to favour flexible contracts and temporary hiring above permanent recruitment.”

“In addition, much of the increased demand is for specialist software engineers to design and deliver mobile and web based commercial applications,” he added.