
HireQuest (NASDAQ:HQI) reported lower first-quarter revenue following the divestiture of certain MRI Network assets, while management said demand trends improved as the quarter progressed and have become more favorable early in the second quarter.
Chief Executive Officer Rick Hermanns described the first quarter of 2026 as “another solid quarter of operational execution and profitability,” saying the company’s franchise staffing model helped it remain profitable despite a soft staffing market and what he characterized as slowed or frozen hiring activity across parts of the industry.