Companies Continue to Rely on Flexible Workforces as Demand for Products and Services Remains Uncertain

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"This uncertainty over the sustainability of the recovery, and the fact that there is yet to be breakthrough in demand, means companies remain committed to doing more with less," said Jeff Joerres, Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO. "However, firms are seeing some demand, so they are taking on flexible or temporary workers until it becomes more robust. The number of temporary jobs created continues to rise accordingly."

While the elevated U.S. jobless rate is now at its highest rate since April, yesterday's four-week moving average of jobless claims dropped down to 431,000, the lowest figure since August 2008. The U.S. economy added 40,000 temporary jobs in November, and temporary jobs have been increasing since September 2009.

Mixed employment signals globally underscore the fact that although the global labor market is generally improving, the mood of optimism should be tempered with caution. With uncertainty in Europe making the headlines, Germany remains a growth engine and employment is up in France as Italy, Ireland, Spain, Greece and Portugal struggle.

In countries such as Germany and Asia-Pacific nations where the recovery is gathering pace, the biggest threat to growth is the mismatch between the skills employers need and the talent available. Where employers are hiring in the U.S., they are being very specific about the skills they are looking for, which means workers who have recently been laid off are faring better than the long-term unemployed.

"Employers are worried that candidates who have been out work for extended periods may have suffered from antiquation of their skills, which is a red flag when they are searching for such specificity of skills," added Joerres. "December and January are traditionally weak months for hiring, so we think it will be a while yet before we see the much-awaited breakthrough in hiring."

Joerres appeared on CNN's American Morning program today to discuss the U.S. jobs situation and next week Tuesday, 7 December, Manpower will release its quarterly Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, which measures employers' hiring intentions for the coming quarter. The survey has been running for 48 years and is one of the most trusted barometers of employment activity in the world, surveying nearly 64,000 employers in 39 countries and territories.

About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in innovative workforce solutions; creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. With over 60 years' experience, Manpower offers employers a range of solutions and services for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting. Manpower's worldwide network of 4,000 offices in 82 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, including small and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. The focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction across their total workforce, enabling clients to concentrate on their core business activities. Manpower Inc. operates under five brands: Manpower, Manpower Professional, Elan, Jefferson Wells and Right Management. More information on Manpower Inc. is available at www.manpower.com.

SOURCE Manpower Inc.