UPDATE 1-Hudson Highland Q4 loss wider than market view

* Q4 loss $3.20/shr vs EPS $0.46 year-ago

* Q4 rev $207.4 mln vs est. $202.3 mln

* Says first quarter to remain weak

* Sees Q1 rev, EBITDA much below Q4

Feb 17 (Reuters) - Staffing services provider Hudson Highland Group Inc (HHGP.O) posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss as expenses rose, and said operating conditions would remain weak throughout the first quarter.

The company expects to continue to streamline its operations in the first quarter due to shifting market conditions and take a restructuring charge of $3 million to $5 million during the period.

"In a normal year, revenue and adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter would be lower than the fourth quarter of the preceding year. In 2009, we expect that this difference would be larger due to the decline in the general economy," the company said in a statement.

Hudson Highland said its total operating expenses for the fourth quarter rose more than 38 percent to $166.6 million.

For the fourth quarter, Hudson Highland posted a net loss of $80.3 million, or $3.20 a share, compared with a net income of $12.0 million, or 46 cents a share, a year earlier.

The company recorded a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $67.1 million in the fourth quarter.

Shares of the company closed at $2.41 Friday on Nasdaq.

For alerts, double-click [ID:nWNAB3235] (Reporting by Amulya Nagaraj in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)