Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) announced today that its highly respected Employment Outlook Survey is expanding across 18 countries to provide a broader international view of employers' projected hiring intentions on a quarterly basis.
Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeffrey A. Joerres stated, "By expanding the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey across 18 countries, we will now be able to provide a unique, predictive view of employers' hiring intentions across a significant majority of the major world markets. We are confident that HR managers, economists, labor market experts, financial analysts and others will view the expanded survey as a reliable indicator of future employment trends, just as they do in the five countries where we are currently running the program," he added. Those countries include Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The survey of employers' hiring intentions for third quarter of 2003 is currently in progress in all 18 countries and the results for all of these countries will be released collectively to the public on June 17. The countries included in the expanded program are:
-- Americas: Canada, Mexico and the United States
-- Europe: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy,
Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom
-- Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey began in 1962 and has evolved over the years as the field of market research has become more sophisticated, and as world economies have become more interdependent. The significant international expansion and alignment of the program that Manpower has undertaken now marks the third generation of the program over its 41-year history.
Joerres explained, "The expansion of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey has been in development for a full year, and included extensive planning and testing of every aspect of the program to ensure the quality and integrity of the program would be preserved. This process included running sample surveys for one or more quarters in all of the countries that have been added in 2003," he added.
Joerres noted that individuals who are accustomed to reviewing the United States survey each quarter would find several improvements to the full survey report when it is released in June. The updated brochure design will include more charts and analysis of the quarterly data, as well as comparisons across the other countries and regions that are now participating in the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. The historical data from the existing program has been retained.
The first generation of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey in the United States was launched in 1962. In 1976, the survey methodology was updated to evolve with advancements in the field of market research, resulting in the second generation of the program, which was validated by the University of Michigan. The survey of employers' hiring intentions for the third quarter of 2003, which is currently being conducted, will mark the third generation of the program when it is released on June 17.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is provided as a public service to enable customers, governments, candidates, economists and labor markets to gain insight into the likely changes that will occur in the labor market over the next quarter.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of charge to the public through their local Manpower representative in participating countries. To receive e-mail notification when the survey is available each quarter, interested individuals are invited to complete an online subscription form at: http://www.manpower.com/prsubscription.
About Manpower
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the staffing industry, providing workforce management services and solutions to customers through 3,900 offices in 63 countries. The firm annually provides employment to two million people worldwide and is an industry leader in employee assessment and training. In North America, Manpower staffing services include administrative, industrial and contact center personnel as well as the assignment of contract professionals in information technology, scientific, finance, engineering, telecommunications and other professional areas under the Manpower Professional brand. More information on the company can be found at http://www.manpower.com/.
About the Survey
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers' intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the only forward-looking survey of its kind, unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity and area of focus. The Survey has been running for more than 40 years and is one of the most trusted surveys of employment activity in the world. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is based on interviews with approximately 30,000 public and private employers worldwide and is considered a highly respected economic indicator. For more information, visit the Manpower Inc. Web site at www.manpower.com and enter the Press Room.
SOURCE: Manpower Inc.
CONTACT: Lisa Kivioja of Manpower Inc., +1-414-906-6540,
lisa.kivioja@na.manpower.com
Web site: http://www.manpower.com/
