Despite seeing net fees fall by 10%, Hays has seen “continued progress” across most of its markets, according to the company’s interim management statement for the quarter ended 31 March 2010.

The international recruiter’s group results reveal:

• A fall in net fees of 5% (10% on a like-for-like basis) on the same period last year
• net fees from temporary placements fell by 12% and net fees from the permanent placement business decreased by 6%
• net fees in its private sector business were down 8%
• net fees in its public sector business were down 17% with the public sector accounting for 23% of total group net fees in the quarter

The statement adds that while net fees remain broadly flat in the UK, strong growth was recorded in Brazil, while the Asia Pacific region recorded its third month in a row of growth with improving markets in Australia and New Zealand and Asian countries performing at pre-downturn levels.

Alistair Cox, chief executive of Hays, says: “We have continued to see progress in most of our markets, although the dynamics vary by region. In Asia Pacific, we have seen a third consecutive quarter of improving trends in Australia and we are seeing a broad-based recovery across the other Asian countries.

“In Continental Europe and the rest of the world, we are seeing strong growth in Brazil, the early signs of recovery in Germany and broad stability across most other countries except Spain and the UAE, which continued to weaken. In the UK, we are seeing sequential growth in the private sector offset by reductions in the public sector.”