Recruiter Hays net fees rises on strong performance in Germany

(Reuters) - British recruitment company Hays Plc (HAYS.L) on Thursday said net fees in the third quarter rose, helped by strong performance in Germany, its largest market.

Hays said quarterly net fees in Germany grew 16 percent, as the company's investment in headcount paid off.

"We have delivered another good quarter with 20 of our 33 markets achieving double-digit growth, including nine all-time records, and our international businesses up 15 percent overall," Chief Executive Alistair Cox said in a statement.

Hays has benefited from growth in its international business and cost controls in its domestic market, where hiring has been hit by uncertainty since Britain voted to leave the EU.

The company, which places workers in the finance and construction sectors, said net fees in the UK and Ireland fell 2 percent in the quarter.

Trading conditions in the UK and Ireland remained subdued but broadly stable, the company said.

On a constant currency basis, group net fees grew 10 percent in the third quarter which ended on March 31.

(Reporting by Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)