Global staffing group Manpower has confirmed that alongside competitors Adecco and Randstad, it is being investigated by the French Competition Authority (FCA).

Recruiter.co.uk reported the investigations into Adecco and Randstad yesterday following notices posted on the companies’ website. Manpower’s statement was posted yesterday after recruiter.co.uk’s deadlines.

In 2009, the three recruiters* were together fined a total of €94.4m (£81.3m) by the FCA, for having “colluded in order to limit competition between them regarding their biggest clients, between March 2003 and November 2004”. 

The fines were reduced after the companies “undertook substantial commitments regarding their future behaviour” which included measures “aimed at improving competition conditions in the market”.

Manpower’s statement yesterday acknowledges that the investigation also involves “a number of its competitors in France”, adding that it is “unable to comment further at this stage and is co-operating” with investigations.

When contacted by the Financial Times, the FCA would not confirm whether any other companies were under investigation, but the paper reports it did confirm searches of the companies’ Parisian offices took place on Wednesday (10 July).

The French market is Adecco’s largest and Randstad’s second-largest, accounting for 25% and 18% of revenues at the firms respectively, while Manpower is even more exposed to France, with 26% of revenues in 2012 generated there, making it by far its largest market.

*The fine applied to Randstad was levied against Vedior, which it had acquired in 2008. A small fine was levied against Adia, which is now part of Adecco.

Read more on the previous FCA investigation

•‘Adecco - €34m fine upheld' (recruiter.co.uk, 27 Jan 2010)

•‘International: Adecco fined €34.2m' (recruiter.co.uk, 2 Feb 2009)

•‘Manpower to appeal €42m fine' (recruiter.co.uk, 3 Feb 2009)

•‘Agency Competition' (recruiter.co.uk, 16 Nov 2007