Recruiter Michael Page returns to growth on Americas and Asia Pacific strength

Oct 13 (Reuters) — British recruiter Michael Page said on Tuesday it returned to growth in the third quarter, delivering its first increase in gross profit since 2022 as improving conditions in the Americas and Asia Pacific offset weakness in Europe. Group gross profit rose 1.5% on constant currency to £190.5 million, beating analysts' expectation of £187.9 million, according to a company-compiled poll Americas gross profit jumped 8.9%, driven by US construction and manufacturing demand, while Asia Pacific gross profit grew 14.7% Michael Page, which recruits white-collar professionals, affirmed that 2026 operating profit will be in line with company-compiled consensus Larger rival Hays reported on Monday its 14th straight quarterly fall in net fees, as weak hiring in Germany's automotive industry and Britain's private sector outweighed growth in the US and parts of Asia (Reporting by Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) ((NithyashreeRB@thomsonreuters.com)