- Hays
- 21 August 2025 07:59:00
Source: Sharecast
Hays, which delivered a profit warning in mid-June, proposed a final dividend of 0.29p per share, down from 2.05p last year, equating to a full-year payout of just 1.24p or £19.8m, down from 3.00p or £47.5m previously.
Pre-tax profits sank 90% to just £1.5m over the year, with pre-exceptional operating profits falling 57% to £45.6m – in line with the latest company guidance.
The company, which has seen macroeconomic uncertainty hit confidence levels of both clients and candidates, reported a 13% decline in net fees to £972.4m, with temp and contracting fees down 7% and perm fees dropping 17%.
"Market conditions remained challenging during the year, with economic and political uncertainty weighing on confidence, increasing 'time-to-hire' and reducing placement volumes. Despite making significant strategic and operational progress towards our long-term ambitions, our overall financial performance was impacted by these headwinds," said chief executive Dirk Hahn.
For the current financial year, Hays said that trading in July and August saw "no significant change to trading momentum from Q4", when activity levels reduced sequentially due to broad-based weakness in permanent recruitment markets.
"September is the key trading month in our first quarter, and it is too early to assess trends," the company said.