Investment in Persol Holdings

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Investment in Persol Holdings [Abstract]

Investment in Persol Holdings

Investment in Persol Holdings

Prior to February 2022, the Company had a yen-denominated investment through the Company's subsidiary, Kelly Services Japan, Inc., in the common stock of Persol Holdings Co., Ltd. ("Persol Holdings"), the 100% owner of Persol Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., the Company’s joint venture partner in PersolKelly Pte. Ltd. (the "JV"). In February 2022, the Company's board approved a series of transactions that ended the cross-shareholding agreement with Persol Holdings.

On February 14, 2022, the Company repurchased 1,576,169 Class A and 1,475 Class B common shares held by Persol Holdings for $27.2 million. The purchase price was based on the average closing price of the last five business days prior to the transaction. The shares were subsequently retired and returned to an authorized, unissued status. In accordance with the Company's policy, the amount paid to repurchase the shares in excess of par value of $25.6 million was recorded to earnings invested in the business in the consolidated balance sheet at the time of the share retirement.

On February 15, 2022, Kelly Services Japan, Inc. sold the investment in the common stock of Persol Holdings in an open-market transaction for proceeds of $196.9 million, net of transaction fees. As our investment was a noncontrolling interest in Persol Holdings, the investment was recorded at fair value based on the quoted market price of Persol Holdings stock on the Tokyo Stock Exchange through the date of the transaction (see Fair Value Measurements footnote). The $67.2 million loss in the first quarter of 2022 recorded in gain (loss) on investment in Persol Holdings in the consolidated statements of earnings included $52.4 million for losses related to changes in fair value up to the date of the transaction and $14.8 million for the discount from the market price on the date of the sale and transaction costs. A gain on the investment of $121.8 million for the year ended 2021 was recorded in gain (loss) on investment in Persol Holdings in the consolidated statements of earnings.

Subsequent to the transaction discussed above, the Company commenced the dissolution process of its Kelly Services Japan, Inc. subsidiary, which was considered substantially liquidated as of first quarter-end 2022. As a result, the Company recognized a $20.4 million cumulative translation adjustment loss in the first quarter of 2022, which is recorded in loss on currency translation from liquidation of subsidiary in the consolidated statements of earnings. The Company also recognized a $5.5 million foreign exchange gain related to U.S.-denominated cash equivalents held by Kelly Services Japan, Inc. following the sale of the Persol Holdings shares and prior to a dividend payment to the Company in the first quarter of 2022. The foreign exchange gain is recorded in other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of earnings. The dissolution of the Kelly Services Japan, Inc. subsidiary was completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.