The worldwide staffing services market is highly competitive with limited barriers to entry. We compete in global, national, regional and local markets with full-service and specialized temporary staffing and consulting companies. While the majority of our competitors are significantly smaller than us, several competitors, including Adecco S.A., Randstad Holding N.V., ManpowerGroup Inc., Allegis Group and Recruit Holdings, are considerably larger than we are and have more substantial marketing and financial resources. Additionally, the emergence of online staffing platforms or other forms of disintermediation may pose a competitive threat to our services, which operate under a more traditional staffing business model. Price competition in the staffing industry is intense, particularly for the provision of office clerical and light industrial personnel. We expect that the level of competition will remain high, which could limit our ability to maintain or increase our market share or profitability.

The number of customers distributing their staffing service purchases among a broader group of competitors continues to increase which, in some cases, may make it more difficult for us to obtain new customers, or to retain or maintain our current share of business, with existing customers. We also face the risk that our current or prospective customers may decide to provide similar services internally. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter increased competition in the future.

Demand for staffing services is significantly affected by the general level of economic activity and employment in the United States and the other countries in which we operate. When economic activity increases, temporary employees are often added before full-time employees are hired. As economic activity slows, however, many companies reduce their use of temporary employees before laying off full-time employees. Significant swings in economic activity historically have had a disproportionate impact on staffing industry volumes. We may also experience more competitive pricing pressure and slower customer payments during periods of economic downturn. A substantial portion of our revenues and earnings are generated by our business operations in the United States. Any significant economic downturn in the United States or certain other countries in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success is directly dependent on our customers’ demands for talent. As technology continues to evolve, more tasks currently performed by people may be replaced by automation, robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and other technological advances outside of our control.  This trend poses a risk to the staffing industry as a whole, particularly in lower-skill job categories that may be more susceptible to such replacement.

Our business strategy focuses on driving growth in higher margin specialties in our OCG segment and in Americas PT.specialties. We have made targeted investments, adjusted our operating models and increased the resources necessary for driving sustainable growth within our targeted higher-margin solutions. If we are unsuccessful in executing our strategy, we may not achieve either our stated goal of strong revenue growth or the intended productivity improvements, which could negatively impact profitability.

Our success depends, in part, on the goodwill associated with our brand. Because we assign employees to work under the direction and supervision of our customer at work locations not under Kelly’s control, we are at risk of our employees engaging in unauthorized conduct that could harm our reputation. Our Kelly Educational Staffing product is particularly susceptible to this exposure. An occurrence that damages Kelly’s reputation could cause the loss of current and future customers, additional regulatory scrutiny and liability to third parties.

Our success is dependent in part on our proprietary business processes, our intellectual property and our thought leadership. To protect those rights, we depend upon protections afforded by the laws of the various countries in which we operate, as well as

The process of developing new service offerings requires accurate anticipation of customers’ changing needs and emerging technological trends. This may require that we make long-term investments and commit significant resources before knowing whether these investments will eventually result in service offerings that achieve customer acceptance and generate the revenues required to provide desired returns. If we fail to accurately anticipate and meet our customers’ needs through the development of new service offerings or do not successfully deliver new service offerings, our competitive position could be weakened and that could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our business strategy focuses on growing our outsourcing and consulting business, including business process outsourcing, where we provide operational management of our customers’ non-core functions or departments. This could expose us to certain risks unique to that business, including product liability or product recalls. Although we have internal vetting processes intended to control such risks, there is no assurance that these processes will be effective. Additionally, while we maintain insurance in types and amounts we believe are appropriate in light of the aforementioned exposures, there can also be no assurance that such insurance policies will remain available on reasonable terms or be sufficient in amount or scope of coverage.

We do not maintain our own vendor management technology, and we have outsourced certain other critical applications or business processes to external providers, including cloud-based services. We have elected to enter into supplier partnerships rather than establishing or maintaining our own operations in some of the territories where our customers require our services. We do not maintain a controlling interest in our expanded staffing joint venture in Asia Pacific (TS Kelly(PersolKelly Asia Pacific) and have elected to rely on the joint venture to provide certain back office and administrative services to our OCGGTS operations in the region. The failure or inability to perform on the part of one or more of these critical suppliers or partners could cause significant disruptions and increased costs.

From time to time, we acquire and invest in companies throughout the world. Acquisitions involve a number of risks, including the diversion of management’s attention from its existing operations, the failure to retain key personnel or customers of an acquired business, the failure to realize anticipated benefits such as cost savings and revenue enhancements, the potentially substantial transaction costs associated with acquisitions, the assumption of unknown liabilities of the acquired business and the inability to successfully integrate the business into our operations. Potential impairment losses could result if we overpay for an acquisition. There can be no assurance that any past or future acquired businesses will generate anticipated revenues or earnings.

We participate, or may participate in the future, in certain investments in equity affiliates, such as joint ventures or other equity investments with strategic partners, including TS KellyPersolKelly Asia Pacific. These arrangements expose us to a number of risks, including the risk that the management of the combined venture may not be able to fulfill their performance obligations under the management agreements or that the joint venture parties may be incapable of providing the required financial support. Additionally, improper, illegal or unethical actions by the venture management could have a negative impact on the reputation of the venture and our company.

Our business strategy is focused on serving large corporate customers through high volume global service agreements. While our strategy is intended to enable us to increase our revenues and earnings from our major corporate customers, the strategy also exposes us to increased risks arising from the possible loss of major customer accounts. The deterioration of the financial condition or business prospects of these customers could reduce their need for staffing and OCGour services and result in a significant decrease in the revenues and earnings we derive from these customers. Continuing merger and acquisition activity involving our large corporate customers could put existing business at risk or impose additional pricing pressures. Since receipts from customers generally lag payroll to temporary employees, the bankruptcy of a major customer could have a material adverse impact on our ability to meet our working capital requirements. Additionally, most of our customer contracts can be terminated by the customer on short notice without penalty. This creates uncertainty with respect to the revenues and earnings we may recognize with respect to our customer contracts.

Our business with large customer accounts reflects a market-driven shift in buying behaviors in which reliance on a small number of staffing partners has shifted to reliance upon outsourced workforce solutions. The movement from single-sourced to competitively sourced staffing contracts may also substantially reduce our future revenues from such customers. While Kelly has sought to address this trend with the adoption of talent supply chain strategies, including providing CWO services within our OCGGTS segment, we may not be selected or retained as the CWO service provider by our large customers. This may result in a material decrease in the revenue we derive from providing staffing services to such customers.

Our business with the federal government and government contractors presents additional risk considerations. We must comply with laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration and performance of federal government contracts. Failure to meet these obligations could result in civil penalties, fines, suspension of payments, reputational damage, disqualification from doing business with government agencies and other sanctions or adverse consequences. Government procurement practices may change in ways that impose additional costs or risks upon us or pose a competitive disadvantage. Our employees may be unable to obtain or retain the security clearances necessary to conduct business under certain contracts, or we could lose or be unable to secure or retain a necessary facility clearance. Government agencies may temporarily or permanently lose funding for awarded contracts, or there could be delays in the start-up of projects already awarded and funded.

We conduct our business in most major staffing markets throughout the world. Our operations outside the United States are subject to risks inherent in international business activities, including:

Our operations outside the United States are reported in the applicable local currencies and then translated into U.S. dollars at the applicable currency exchange rates for inclusion in our consolidated financial statements. Exchange rates for currencies of

these countries may fluctuate in relation to the U.S. dollar and these fluctuations may have an adverse or favorable effect on our operating results when translating foreign currencies into U.S. dollars.

As we aim to expand the number of clients adopting a talent supply chain management approachand other complex solutions in order to support our OCG growth strategy, we are highly reliant on individuals who possess specialized knowledge and skills to lead complex talent supply chain salessolutions and operations.  There can be no assurance that qualified personnel will continue to be available.  Our success is increasingly dependent on our ability to attract, develop and retain these experts.

We depend on our ability to attract qualified temporary personnel who possess the skills and experience necessary to meet the staffing requirements of our customers. We must continually evaluate our base of available qualified personnel to keep pace with changing customer needs. Competition for individuals with proven professional skills is intense, and demand for these individuals is expected to remain strong for the foreseeable future. There can be no assurance that qualified personnel will continue to be available in sufficient numbers and on terms of employment acceptable to us and our customers. Our success is substantially dependent on our ability to recruit and retain qualified temporary personnel.

We employ and assign personnel in the workplaces of other businesses. The risks of these activities include possible claims relating to:

We are also subject to potential risks relating to misuse of customer proprietary information, misappropriation of funds, death or injury to our employees, damage to customer facilities due to negligence of temporary employees, criminal activity and other similar occurrences. We may incur fines and other losses or negative publicity with respect to these risks. In addition, these occurrences may give rise to litigation, which could be time-consuming and expensive. In the U.S. and certain other countries in which we operate, new employment and labor laws and regulations have been proposed or adopted that may increase the potential exposure of employers to employment-related claims and litigation. In addition, such laws and regulations are arising with increasing frequency at the state and local level in the U.SU.S. and the resulting inconsistency in such laws and regulations results in additional complexity. There can be no assurance that the corporate policies and practices we have in place to help reduce our exposure to these risks will be effective or that we will not experience losses as a result of

these risks. Although we maintain insurance in types and amounts we believe are appropriate in light of the aforementioned exposures, there can also be no assurance that such insurance policies will remain available on reasonable terms or be sufficient in amount or scope of coverage. Additionally, should we have a material inability to produce records as a consequence of litigation or a government investigation, the cost or consequences of such matters could become much greater.

In the normal course of business we control, we process or have access to personal information regarding our own employees or employment candidates, as well as that of many of our customers or managed suppliers. Information concerning our employees and candidates may also reside in systems controlled by third parties for purposes such as employee benefits and payroll administration. The legal and regulatory environment concerning data privacy is becoming more complex and challenging, and the potential consequences of non-compliance have become more severe. Any failure to protect such personal information from inappropriate access or disclosure, whether through social engineering or by accident or other cause, could have severe consequences including fines, litigation, regulatory sanctions including loss of our status as a subscriber to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, reputational damage and loss of customers or employees. Although we have a program designed to preserve the privacy of the personal data that we control or process, as well as personal data that we entrust to third parties, there can be no assurance that our program will meet all current and future regulatory requirements, anticipate all potential methods of unauthorized access, or prevent all inappropriate disclosures. Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all such costs or consequences, and there can be no assurance that any insurance that we now maintain will remain available under acceptable terms.

We rely upon multiple information technology systems and networks, some of which are web-based or managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information and to manage or support a variety of critical business processes and activities. Our networks and applications are increasingly accessed from locations and by devices not within our physical control, and the specifics of our technology systems and networks may vary by geographic region. In the course of ordinary business, we may store or process proprietary or confidential information concerning our business and financial performance and current, past or prospective employees, customers, vendors and managed suppliers. The secure and consistent operation of these systems, networks and processes is critical to our business operations. Moreover, our temporary employees may be exposed to, or have access to, similar information in the course of their customer assignments. We routinely experience cyber attacks, which may include the use of malware, computer viruses, social engineering schemes and other means of attempted disruption or unauthorized access.

The actions we take to reduce the risk of impairments to our operations or systems and breaches of confidential or proprietary data may not be sufficient to prevent or repel future cyber events or other impairments of our networks or information technologies. An event involving the destruction, modification, accidental or unauthorized release, or theft of sensitive information from systems related to our business, or an attack that results in damage to or unavailability of our key technology systems or those of critical vendors, could result in damage to our reputation, fines, regulatory sanctions or interventions, contractual or financial liabilities, additional compliance and remediation costs, loss of employees or customers, loss of payment card network privileges, operational disruptions and other forms of costs, losses or reimbursements, any of which could materially adversely affect our operations or financial condition. Our cyber security and business continuity plans may not be effective in anticipating, preventing and effectively responding to all potential cyber risk exposures. Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover all such costs or consequences, and there can be no assurance that any insurance that we now maintain will remain available under acceptable terms.

Many business processes critical to our continued operation are housed in our data center situated within the corporate headquarters complex as well as regional data centers in Asia-Pacific and Europe. Those processes include, but are not limited to, payroll, customer reporting and order management. While we have taken steps to protect these operations and have developed remote recovery capabilities, the loss of a data center would create a substantial risk of business interruption which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have a number of information technology projects in process or in the planning stages, including improvements to applicant onboarding and tracking systems, order management, and improvements to financial processes such as billing and accounts

payable through system consolidation and upgrades. Although the technology is intended to increase productivity and operating efficiencies, these projects may not yield their intended results. Any delays in completing, or an inability to successfully complete, these technology initiatives or an inability to achieve the anticipated efficiencies could adversely affect our operations, liquidity and financial condition. In addition, our information technology investments and strategy may not provide the ability to keep up with evolving industry trends and customer expectations which could weaken our competitive position. We also do not currently utilize a single enterprise resource planning system, which limits our ability and increases the amount of investment and effort necessary to provide global service integration to our customers.

Failure to maintain adequate financial and management processes and controls could lead to errors in our financial reporting.   

Failure to maintain adequate financial and management processes and controls could lead to errors in our financial reporting. If our management is unable to certify the effectiveness of our internal controls or if our independent registered public accounting firm cannot render an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, or if material weaknesses in our internal controls are identified, we could be subject to regulatory scrutiny and a loss of public confidence. In addition, if we do not maintain adequate financial and management personnel, processes and controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial performance on a timely basis, which could have a negative effect on our stock price.

We regularly monitor our goodwill, and long-lived assets and equity method investments for impairment indicators.  In conducting our goodwill impairment testing, we compare the fair value of each of our reporting units with goodwill to the related net book value.  In conducting our impairment analysis of long-lived assets and intangibles, we compare the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated from the long-lived assets and intangibles to the related net book values. We review our equity method investment for indicators of impairment on a periodic basis or whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount may be other-than-temporarily impaired. Changes in economic or operating conditions impacting our estimates and assumptions could result in the impairment of our goodwill, orintangibles, long-lived assets.assets and equity method investments. In the event that we determine that our goodwill or long-lived assets are impaired,there is an impairment, we may be required to record a significant non-cash charge to earnings that could adversely affect our results of operations.

We self-insure, or otherwise bear financial responsibility for, a significant portion of expected losses under our workers’ compensation program, disability and medical benefits claims. Unexpected changes in claim trends, including the severity and frequency of claims, actuarial estimates and medical cost inflation, could result in costs that are significantly different than initially reported. If future claims-related liabilities increase due to unforeseen circumstances, or if we must make unfavorable adjustments to accruals for prior accident years, our costs could increase significantly. In addition, unemployment insurance costs are dependent on benefit claims experience from employees which may vary from current levels and result in increased costs. There can be no assurance that we will be able to increase the fees charged to our customers in a timely manner and in a sufficient amount to cover increased costs as a result of any changes in claims-related liabilities.

The temporary employment industry is heavily regulated in many of the countries in which we operate. Changes in laws or government regulations may result in prohibition or restriction of certain types of employment services we are permitted to offer or the imposition of new or additional benefit, licensing or tax requirements that could reduce our revenues and earnings. In particular, we are subject to state unemployment taxes in the U.S., which typically increase during periods of increased levels of unemployment. We also receive benefits, such as the work opportunity income tax credit in the U.S., that regularly expire and may not be reinstated. There can be no assurance that we will be able to increase the fees charged to our customers in a timely manner and in a sufficient amount to fully cover increased costs as a result of any changes in laws or government regulations. Any future changes in laws or government regulations, or interpretations thereof, including additional laws and regulations enacted at a local level may make it more difficult or expensive for us to provide staffing services and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to a multitude of federal, state and local taxes in the jurisdictions we operate in, including the tax provisions of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.  We are also subject to unclaimed or abandoned property (escheat) laws. Our tax expense could be materially impacted by changes in tax laws in these jurisdictions, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities or changes in the mix of income by country. The demographics of our workforce and the visibility of our industry may make it more likely we become a target of government investigations, and we are regularly subject to audit by tax authorities. Although we believe our tax and unclaimed property estimates are reasonable, the final determination of audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation could materially harm our business.

Our bank credit facilities contain covenants that require us to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy other financial conditions. During 2016,2017, we met all of the covenant requirements. Our ability to continue to meet these financial covenants, particularly with respect to interest coverage (see Debt footnote in the notes to our consolidated financial statements), may not be assured.  If we default under this or any other of these requirements, the lenders could declare all outstanding borrowings, accrued interest and fees to be due and payable or significantly increase the cost of the facility.  In these circumstances, there can be no assurance that we would have sufficient liquidity to repay or refinance this indebtedness at favorable rates or at all. Events beyond our control could result in the failure of one or more of our banks, reducing our access to liquidity and potentially resulting in reduced financial and operating flexibility.  If broader credit markets were to experience dislocation, our potential access to other funding sources would be limited.

Terence E. Adderley, the Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of our board of directors, and certain trusts with respect to which he acts as trustee or co-trustee, control approximately 93% of the outstanding shares of Kelly Class B common stock, which is the only class of our common stock entitled to voting rights. Mr. Adderley is therefore able to exercise voting control with respect to all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election or removal from office of all members of the Boardboard of Directors.directors.

Our Class A and Class B common stock are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market. Under the listing standards of the NASDAQ Global Market, we are deemed to be a “controlled company” by virtue of the fact that Terence E. Adderley, the Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of our board of directors, and certain trusts of which he acts as trustee or co-trusteeco-

trustee have voting power with respect to more than fifty percent of our outstanding voting stock. A controlled company is not required to have a majority of its board of directors comprised of independent directors. Director nominees are not required to be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by a majority of independent directors or a nominations committee comprised solely of independent directors, nor do the NASDAQ Global Market listing standards require a controlled company to certify the adoption of a formal written charter or board resolution, as applicable, addressing the nominations process. A controlled company is also exempt from NASDAQ Global Market’s requirements regarding the determination of officer compensation by a majority of independent directors or a compensation committee comprised solely of independent directors. A controlled company is required to have an audit committee composed of at least three directors who are independent as defined under the rules of both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the NASDAQ Global Market. The NASDAQ Global Market further requires that all members of the audit committee have the ability to read and understand fundamental financial statements and that at least one member of the audit committee possess financial sophistication. The independent directors must also meet at least twice a year in meetings at which only they are present.

We currently comply with certain of the listing standards of the NASDAQ Global Market that do not apply to controlled companies. Our compliance is voluntary, however, and there can be no assurance that we will continue to comply with these standards in the future.

Our restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could make it harder for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our board of directors. For example, if a potential acquirer were to make a hostile bid for us, the acquirer would not be able to call a special meeting of stockholders to remove our board of directors or act by written consent without a meeting. The acquirer would also be required to provide advance notice of its proposal to replace directors at any annual meeting, and would not be able to cumulate votes at a meeting, which would require the acquirer to hold more shares to gain representation on the board of directors than if cumulative voting were permitted.

Our board of directors could choose not to negotiate with an acquirer that it did not believe was in our strategic interests. If an acquirer is discouraged from offering to acquire us or prevented from successfully completing a hostile acquisition by these or other measures, our shareholders could lose the opportunity to sell their shares at a favorable price.

Under our certificate of incorporation, the holders of shares of our Class A common stock are not entitled to voting rights, except as otherwise required by Delaware law. As a result, Class A common stock holders do not have the right to vote for the election of directors or in connection with most other matters submitted for the vote of our stockholders.

The market price of our common stock may be subject to significant volatility. We believe that many factors, including several which are beyond our control, have a significant effect on the market price of our common stock. These include:

In addition, the stock market in general, and the NASDAQ Global Market in particular, have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of listed companies. These broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities. A securities class action suit against us could result in substantial costs, potential liabilities and the diversion of our management’s attention and resources. Further, our operating results may be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors. In such event, the price of our common stock may decline.

TheIn the ordinary course of business the Company is athe subject of, or party to, various pending or threatened legal actions which could result in a pending nationwide class action lawsuit entitled Hillson et.al. v Kelly Services. The suit alleges that current and former temporary employees of Kelly Services are entitled to monetarymaterial adverse outcome for which the related damages for violation ofmay not be estimable. As previously disclosed, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requirement that the notice and disclosure form provided to employees for purposes of conducting a background screening be a standalone document. On April 20, 2016, the partiesCompany entered into a formal settlement agreement. The parties still must secure court approval ofwith plaintiffs in Hillson et. al. v Kelly Services in order to avoid the settlement. In light of amounts previously expensed and anticipated recoveries from third parties, Kelly recorded an accrual in the fourth quarter of 2015 of $4.1 million (in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet) to reflect the expected cost of continued litigation. On August 17, 2017, the tentative settlement.District Court approved the settlement and entered a Final Order of Judgment and Dismissal. The Company made the final payment, which was accrued in 2015, on September 19, 2017.

TheIn addition, the Company is continuously engaged in litigation or investigations arising in the ordinary course of its business, such as matters alleging employment discrimination, alleging wage and hour violations, or enforcingviolations of privacy rights or anti-competition regulations. There are matters that are currently stayed pending a decision from the restrictive covenants inSupreme Court of the United States on whether the Company’s employment agreements.arbitration provision is enforceable. We record accruals for loss contingencies when we believe it is probable that liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Such accruals are recorded in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. While the ultimate outcome of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the resolution of any such proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

In January 2018, the Hungarian Competition Authority initiated proceedings against the Company, along with a local industry trade association and its members, due to alleged infringement of national competition regulations.  We are fully cooperating with the investigation, and are supplying materials and information to comply with the Authority’s undertakings. The Company has recently experienced an increase in its litigation volume, including cases where claimants seek class action certification. While there is no expectationdoes not believe that anyresolution of these mattersthis matter will have a material adverse effect onupon the Company’s competitive position, results of operations, financial position or cash flows litigation is always subject to inherent uncertainty and the Company is not able to reasonably predict if any matter will be resolved in a manner that is materially adverse to the Company. or financial position.

We earn revenues from the hourly sales of services by our temporary employees to customers, as a result of recruiting permanent employees for our customers, and through our talent advisory and outsourcing activities.services. Our working capital requirements are primarily generated from temporary employee payroll and customer accounts receivable. The nature of our business is such that trade accounts receivable are our most significant asset. Average days sales outstanding varies within and outside the U.S., but is 5355 days on a global basis as of the 20162017 year end. Since receipts from customers generally lag temporary employee payroll, working capital requirements increase substantially in periods of growth.

Our long-term strategic objective is to create shareholder value by delivering a competitive profit from the best workforce solutions and talent in the industry. To achieve this, we are focused on the following key areas:

20162017 was a year of strategic and operational progress as we pursued this strategy. Even in the face of slowing revenue, we improved on several important key performance indicators, including improvingthat demonstrated our conversion ratecommitment to profitable growth. We delivered solid top-line growth and free cash flow. In addition, we raised the cash dividend for our shareholders based on our confidence in our execution and completed the expansion of our joint venture with Temp Holdings, forming one of the largest workforce solutions companies in the Asia-Pacific region, TS Kelly Asia Pacific. We are running our staffing operations more tightly in line with growth expectations, and we took actions during the

and grow in solutions where we see outsized market potential. And finally, we are accelerating investment in initiatives to enhance technology and process automation. Our 20162017 results confirm our growth strategy:

Kelly remains focusedcontinues to focus on executingaccelerating the execution of our strategy with increased speed and precision, making the necessary investments and adjustments to advance that strategy. We have set our sights on becoming an even more focused,competitive, consultative and profitable company, and we are reshaping our business to make that vision a reality. We will continue to rebalancemeasure our resources to align with our goals for growth, intentionally focusing more of our workforce in roles that drive increasedprogress against both revenue and gross profit for the Company. We will primarily measure our progress against gross profit growth, as well as earnings and an improved conversion rate. The goals we have established are based on the current economic and business environment, and may change as conditions warrant:warrant. We expect:

Looking ahead, we are keeping a watchful eye on demand levels in the U.S. laborglobal market while anticipating an increasing demand for skilled workers. Despite uncertainties, weWe know that companies are relying more heavily on the use of flexible staffing models; there is growing acceptance of free agentsshifting work styles and contractual employment by companies and talent alike; and companies are seeking more comprehensive workforce management solutions that lend themselves to Kelly’s talent supply chain management approach.wide range of human resources solutions. This shift in demand for contingent labor and strategic solutions plays to our strengths and experience — particularly serving large companies whose needs span the globe and cross multiple labor categories.

Income tax expense for 2016 was $30.0 million, compared to $8.7 million for 2015. Our tax expense is affected by recurring items, such as the amount of pretax income and its mix by jurisdiction, U.S. work opportunity credits and the change in cash surrender value of non-taxable investments in life insurance policies. It is also affected by discrete items that may occur in any given period but are not consistent from period to period, such as tax law changes, or changes in judgment regarding the realizability of deferred tax assets. The increase in income tax expense from the prior year is primarily due to tax expense of $23.5 million from the gain on the investment in TS KellyPersolKelly Asia Pacific, the impact of which is partially offset by a $2.1 million benefit from the release of valuation allowances in Italy.