The European Commission Friday cleared recruitment company Adecco SA (ADEN.VX) to buy U.K.-based Spring Group Ltd.(SRG.LN), a smaller recruitment company, for GBP108 million.

Through the purchase, Adecco aims to strengthen its position in the fragmented U.K. market.

Switzerland's Adecco has been hit hard by the global downturn as companies are forced to cut jobs and unemployment is expected to rise further in both the U.S. and Europe in the months ahead. It competes with the likes of Manpower Inc. (MAN) of the U.S. and Netherlands-based Randstad Holding NV (RAND.AE).

-By Peppi Kiviniemi, Dow Jones Newswires; +3227411483; peppi.kiviniemi@dowjones.com
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