(Reuters) - British recruitment firm Robert Walters (L:RWA) posted on Wednesday a record profit for 2016 on the back of strong hiring across all of its geographies, with 15 countries it operates in delivering record performances.
The company, which places people in finance, engineering, legal and marketing jobs, said pretax profit rose 26 percent to 28.1 million pounds ($34.32 million) in the year ended Dec. 31, 2016.
However, Robert Walters, which generates 69 percent of its net fee income outside of the UK, said confidence and activity levels among individuals and firms in the UK were negatively impacted last year by Britain's vote to leave the European Union.
Activity in the financial services market in London particularly declined, said the company, adding that it more than made up for the fallout due to strength in the commerce finance market as well as its regional operations that focus on small- and medium-sized businesses.
"Looking ahead, we remain mindful of the unpredictable geopolitical environment," Chief Executive Robert Walters said in a statement.
"However, (Robert Walters) global footprint coupled with the range of recruitment services we provide positions us well to maximise opportunities for growth as they arise."
($1 = 0.8187 pounds)