Adecco Group

Adecco created the world's largest staffing empire ($25B+ revenue) by aggregating local labor market inefficiencies at global scale. Founded in 1996 through merger of Adia and Ecco, the company operates in 60+ countries, matching temporary workers to short-term employer needs. This two-sided marketplace profits from information asymmetry and transaction costs: employers need workers fast, workers need income flexibility, and both parties face search costs that Adecco reduces. The company's scale creates network effects - more workers attract more employers, attracting more workers - that local competitors can't replicate. Adecco's survival through multiple recessions proves that staffing businesses are countercyclical stabilizers: when permanent hiring freezes, temporary staffing increases.