GEE Group Announces Fiscal Year 2019 and Fourth Quarter Results

In This Article:

Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA $11.8 million; $2.9 million for the Quarter

JACKSONVILLE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / December 24, 2019 / GEE Group Inc. (NYSE American: JOB) ("the Company" or "GEE Group"), a provider of professional staffing services and solutions, today announced consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Highlights

  • Revenue for the fiscal 2019 fourth quarter was approximately $38.9 million. Contract staffing services contributed approximately $34.1 million or approximately 88% of revenue and direct placement services contributed approximately $4.8 million or approximately 12% of revenue. This compares to contract staffing services of approximately $34.4 million or approximately 86% of revenue and direct placement services of approximately $5.6 million or approximately 14% of revenue respectively for the same quarter of fiscal 2018.

  • Revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $151.7 million, lower by approximately 8% over the prior fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. Contract staffing services contributed approximately $133.1 million or approximately 88% of revenue and direct placement services contributed approximately $18.5 million or approximately 12% of revenue. This compares to contract staffing services of approximately $142.2 million or approximately 86% of revenue and direct placement services of approximately $23.1 million or approximately 14% of revenue respectively for the 2018 fiscal year. The decrease in contract staffing services and direct placement services revenue for fiscal 2019, compared to fiscal 2018, was primarily due to management's design and implementation of a performance improvement plan which resulted in the reduction in the number of marginally performing and underperforming full time employees in sales, recruitment and account management coupled with certain office consolidations.

  • Revenue from combined professional contract and professional direct placement services, which is comprised of staffing and solutions in the information technology, engineering, healthcare and finance & accounting specialties, was approximately $33.3 million and represents approximately 86% of total revenue for the 2019 fiscal fourth quarter and approximately $130 million and approximately 86% of total revenue respectively for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. This compares to approximately $34.4 million or approximately 86% of total revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 and approximately $143.6 million and approximately 87% of total revenue respectively for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. A component of the Company's strategic plan is to focus on the higher margin professional staffing and solutions services sectors through organic growth and acquisitions.

  • Overall combined gross margin for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2019 (including direct placement services which is recorded at 100% gross margin) was approximately 34.2% compared to approximately 37.1% for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2018. The combined overall contract staffing gross margin (excluding direct placement services) was approximately 25% for the fiscal year fourth quarter of 2019 vs. approximately 26.9% for the comparable prior year quarter. Overall combined professional services gross margin for the 2019 fiscal year fourth quarter (including direct placement services) was approximately 37.3% vs. approximately 38.4% for the 2018 fiscal year fourth quarter. Professional contract staffing services gross margin (excluding direct placement services) for the fourth quarter ended September 30, 2019 was approximately 26.8% vs. approximately 26.5% for the comparable prior year quarter. Commercial (industrial) staffing services gross margin was approximately 15.9% for the 2019 fiscal year fourth quarter vs. approximately 14.2% for the 2018 fiscal year fourth quarter (unadjusted for the full effect of workers compensation rebates received in each of the fiscal fourth quarters; if the rebates were taken into account in the 2019 and 2018 fourth quarters, gross margin would be several hundred basis points higher in each of the fiscal year fourth quarters. See comparative full fiscal year results below). The changes in GEE's 2019 fiscal year fourth quarter vs. the 2018 fiscal year fourth quarter in overall gross margin, overall contract staffing gross margin, professional contract staffing gross margin and commercial (industrial) staffing services gross margin are primarily attributable to more direct placement revenue as a percentage of total revenue in the fiscal 2018 fourth quarter compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, revenue mix and the elimination of lower margin business, plus the benefit of an enhanced workers compensation program including rebates in the commercial (industrial) staffing services division.

  • The Company's overall combined gross margin for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 (including direct placement services) was approximately 34.3% compared to approximately 35.7% for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. The combined overall contract staffing gross margin (excluding direct placement services) was unchanged and approximately 25.2% for the 2019 fiscal year end vs. approximately 25.2% for the 2018 fiscal year end. Professional contract staffing services gross margin (excluding direct placement services) for the 2019 fiscal year end was approximately 26% compared to approximately 26.5% for the 2018 fiscal year end. Including workers' compensation rebates earned in each of the fiscal years, commercial staffing services (light industrial) gross margin for the 2019 fiscal year end was approximately 20.8% compared to approximately 17.9% for the 2018 fiscal year end. The changes in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 vs. the comparable 2018 prior fiscal year in overall gross margin, overall contract staffing gross margin, professional contract staffing gross margin and commercial staffing services gross margin, are primarily attributable to more direct hire revenue as a percentage of revenue in the 2018 fiscal year compared to the 2019 fiscal year, revenue mix including MSP/VMS and the elimination of lower margin business, plus the benefit of a workers compensation program and rebates in the commercial (industrial) services division.

  • Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) were approximately $10.9 million and approximately 28% as a percentage of revenue for the 2019 fiscal fourth quarter compared to approximately $11.6 million and approximately 29% of revenue for the 2018 fiscal fourth quarter. The decrease in SG&A expenses and SG&A as a percentage of revenue for the 2019 fiscal fourth quarter vs. the comparable prior year quarter is primarily due to the effect of the Company's performance improvement plan which reduced personnel costs and related ancillary expenses.

  • SG&A was approximately $42.5 million for the 2019 fiscal year compared to approximately $47.4 million for the 2018 fiscal year. Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) decreased as a percentage of revenue for the 2019 fiscal year and were approximately 28% compared to approximately 29% of revenue for the 2018 fiscal year. The approximately $4.9 million and 100 basis point decrease in SG&A primarily resulted from the implementation of GEE's performance improvement plan by improving productivity and lowering certain personnel costs, office expenses and related overhead expenses.

  • GAAP loss from operations for the 2019 fiscal fourth quarter was approximately $386,000 compared to GAAP income from operations of approximately $378,000 for the comparable fiscal 2018 prior year quarter. GAAP loss from operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $5.0 million vs. GAAP income from operations of approximately $2.5 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018.

  • GAAP net loss for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $3.6 million compared to a GAAP net loss of approximately $1.6 million for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2018. The GAAP net loss for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2018 included an income tax benefit of approximately $1.1 million as compared to an income tax benefit of approximately $30,000 for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2019. GAAP net loss for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $17.8 million vs. a GAAP net loss of approximately $7.6 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. The GAAP net loss for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 included approximately $4.3 million in a noncash goodwill impairment charge. The GAAP net loss for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 included an income tax benefit of approximately $859,000 as compared to an income tax expense of approximately $370,000 included in the GAAP net loss for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

  • Adjusted EBITDA (adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure) computed EBITDA as adjusted for noncash stock compensation and stock option expense, acquisition, integration & restructuring expenses and changes in acquisition deposit for working capital guarantee for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $2.9 million vs. adjusted EBITDA of approximately $3.1 million for the comparable 2018 prior year fiscal fourth quarter. Reconciliations of non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018 to GAAP net income (net loss) for those periods are attached to this press release.

  • Adjusted EBITDA (adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure) computed EBITDA as adjusted for noncash stock compensation and stock option expense, acquisition, integration & restructuring expenses, changes in acquisition deposit for working capital guarantee and noncash goodwill impairment charges for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 was approximately $11.8 million vs. adjusted EBITDA of approximately $13.2 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. Reconciliations of non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018 to GAAP net income (net loss) for those periods are attached to this press release.

  • Select GAAP Balance Sheet Highlights as of September 30, 2019 (see balance sheet attached to this press release): Approximate Working Capital of $8.5 million; Approximate Current Ratio of 1.5 to 1; Approximate Shareholders' Equity inclusive of Mezzanine Equity, of $36.8 million.

  • Additional relevant financial information: During fiscal 2019, GEE amended its revolving credit facility. The Company believes the loan modifications are beneficial, provide more flexibility, will improve cash flow and will better meet its needs as it executes its growth strategy. The amendment included reduced principal payments, greater flexibility on loan covenants and other terms that the Company views as favorable. See Form 10K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019 filed with the SEC for a more complete description and a complete copy of the amendment.