International recruitment group Manpower and UK education, healthcare and security specialist Servoca both saw revenues drop in 2012, but say they are optimistic looking into 2013.

Manpower saw revenues from services decline 1.4% at constant currencies to $20.68bn (£3.29bn), with currency-adjusted operating profit falling 16.5% to $411.7m.

Geographically, Manpower saw a currency-adjusted decline of 4.6% in revenues in the French market that represents a quarter of the business, with Italian revenues falling 8.9%. ‘Other Southern Europe’ (up 6.9%) and the Americas excluding the US (up 9.9%) provided the biggest fillips.

A company statement says: “We finished 2012 with a solid fourth quarter performance. Our team was able to achieve a modest revenue increase compared to the third quarter… We remain appropriately optimistic as we look into 2013. We are on guard for potential disruption in all markets, particularly Europe, but at this time we do not anticipate any dramatic negatives.”

Servoca, a provider of education and healthcare staffing as well as security and domiciliary care outsourcing, saw revenues in its health-related activities drop by over £6m, leading to a group-wide fall in revenues in the year ending September 2012.

In the period, group revenue was £42.5m, down £5.4m or 11.3% from the previous year’s £47.9m. Gross profit dropped by a slightly lesser degree to £12m.

Despite the healthcare decline caused by “a severe cut back in NHS spending”, the firm registered a small operating profit of £0.3m, down from last year’s £1.9m, and says: “We continue to invest in our security and education businesses, which are showing positive momentum.”