Temporary labour provider AWF Group has experienced a slight drop in half-year profit but says demand for temporary staff remains strong.
The listed company made $1.73 million in the six months to September, a decrease of 1% on the same period a year ago due to one-off costs from recent acquisitions.
Revenue rose a third to $55 million with the company's newly acquired Panacea Healthcare performing well and a strong performance from AWF Mourant, which is focused on Waihi's goldmining operations.
"At the same time we've seen growth within our core business of about 15-16%," says AWF chief executive Mike Huddleston.
He says the growth has been mostly in the manufacturing, food processing and logistics sectors.
Mr Huddleston says earnings are rising because the subdued recovery means firms are still reluctant to take on workers permanently.
He expects that trend to continue for another year, while employers decide whether or not long-term growth is likely.
