TORONTO, July 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celebrating its 35 th year of business, leading staffing company Express Employment Professionals continues to smash sales records, reporting $1.71 billion in sales in the first half of 2018, 11 per cent ahead of the same period in 2017. At its current growth rate, the company is projected to finish 2018 with $3.57 billion in sales.

Coinciding with its milestone anniversary, the international staffing company has awarded 26 franchise locations so far this year, including the 800 th territory to Ryan Strain in Central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. For every Express office that opens, on average 700 more people find work annually.

“Express continues to outperform the competition by impacting communities on every level,” said Bill Stoller, Express CEO. “Our franchisees are committed to connecting quality workers with reputable companies, helping put food on the table for families and generating revenue to boost local economies. In an era of increasing automation during the job search, we are committed to preserving the human element of recruiting.”

At the end of June, Express’ more than 800 offices have put 336,528 people to work this year in the United States and Canada and nearly 180,000 of those were first-time associates. A total of 566,893 people are projected to find work through the staffing company by the conclusion of 2018, a 5 per cent increase from 2017.

“We continue to see a robust job market in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the number of job vacancies are up nearly 20 per cent from last year,” Stoller said. “That said, we continue to see a stubborn national labour force participation rate. There are more than 10 million workers in Canada who we need to get off the sidelines. In the midst of a recruiting crisis for companies, we are excited to work with this untapped labour pool.”

Currently, Express has 589 job openings in Canada for a variety of positions, including technical support analysts, administrative assistants, inventory clerks, delivery drivers, carpenters, customer service reps, switchboard operators, auditors and welders.  

To make connecting with Express recruiters even easier, Express recently released the much-anticipated ExpressJobs app. The new app is a significant step in the digital transformation of the company, which believes in creating a personalized experience for job seekers while embracing advancements in technology. The free app leverages machine-learning models and intelligent search to help users easily find jobs in their area, link to their social networks, apply to jobs, schedule interviews, access resources and manage their employment details, all within the same platform.

“As a company, we have accomplished quite a bit in the first two quarters of 2018, but I’m confident that our greatest chapters are yet unwritten,” Stoller said. “And that we absolutely have the best people to help further the remarkable story of Express.”

If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Ana Curic at (613) 858-2622 or email ana@mapleleafstrategies.com .

About Bill Stoller William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 800 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Since its inception, Express has put more than 6 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.4 billion in sales and employed a record 540,000 people in 2017. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For more information, visit  ExpressPros.com .