ManpowerGroup Executives Lead Sessions At World Economic Forum on the Middle East, North Africa and Eurasia 2012

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"In Europe, unemployment has reached its highest rate in 13 years – now over the 17 million mark -- and young people represent the majority of the unemployed," said Francoise Gri, ManpowerGroup President of Southern Europe. "Despite high unemployment and a pool of available candidates, we face an impending talent crisis in this mega-region. Companies are struggling to find people with the skills they need as their existing workforces age and retire and the jobless youth crisis escalates. Tomorrow's workforce is sitting on the bench, not proactively building out the skills needed to launch and sustain a career."

One in four employers in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region report that they are struggling to find candidates, according to the 2012 ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey results. The most common reason EMEA employers give is a lack of technical skills and competencies. Leveraging ManpowerGroup's unrivalled global reach and in-depth understanding of the macro and micro trends in the world of work, ManpowerGroup executives will lead CEOs, business leaders and policymakers in identifying the solutions that conquer the talent shortage.

"In the long-term, companies, governments and educators must work together to build a sustainable pipeline of domestic talent through the right training and development programs, particularly for young people," said David Arkless, ManpowerGroup President of Corporate and Government Affairs. "In real time, companies and governments must explore the opportunities provided by strategic migration, bringing in workers with relevant skills from outside national or even regional borders."

ManpowerGroup executives participating in this week's regional WEF include: Arkless; Gri; Dalia Narkis, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Israel and East Mediterranean Countries; and Simon Matthews, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Thailand and Middle East.

Monday 4th June:

ManpowerGroup will release "How to Advance The Capabilities of Today's Workforce" which advises companies, individuals, governments and educators on the thinking and solutions, including innovative training, which is required to bolster the employability of individuals.

Tuesday 5th June:

ManpowerGroup will host a Human Age breakfast briefing to explore challenges facing companies in today's era of complex and transformative change. ManpowerGroup began advocating almost two years ago that access to talent had replaced capital as the competitive differentiator in the Human Age, a concept later echoed across the business world and thought leadership circles, including WEF meetings held around the world.

Arkless will lead a discussion entitled the "Youth Employment Crisis – Time for Action," moderated by Nik Gowing of BBC World News.

Wednesday 6th June:

Arkless will lead "Harnessing Talent Mobility for Growth," which will examine mobilizing talent across regions by overcoming xenophobia, immigration barriers and brain drain paranoia.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, creates and delivers high-impact solutions that enable our clients to achieve their business goals and enhance their competitiveness. With over 60 years of experience, our $22 billion company creates unique time to value through a comprehensive suite of innovative solutions that help clients win in the Human Age. These solutions cover an entire range of talent-driven needs from recruitment and assessment, training and development, and career management, to outsourcing and workforce consulting. ManpowerGroup maintains the world's largest and industry-leading network of nearly 3,800 offices in 80 countries and territories, generating a dynamic mix of an unmatched global footprint with valuable insight and local expertise to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, across all industry sectors, small and medium-sized enterprises, local, multinational and global companies. By connecting our deep understanding of human potential to the ambitions of clients, ManpowerGroup helps the organizations and individuals we serve achieve more than they imagined — because their success leads to our success. And by creating these powerful connections, we create power that drives organizations forward, accelerates personal success and builds more sustainable communities. We help power the world of work. The ManpowerGroup suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. Learn more about how the ManpowerGroup can help you win in the Human Age at www.manpowergroup.com.

ManpowerGroup is the most trusted brand in the industry, and was once again the only company in our industry to be named to the Ethisphere Institute's 2012 World's Most Ethical Companies list for our proven commitment to ethical business practices, including an outstanding commitment to ethical leadership, compliance practices and corporate social responsibility.

In January 2011, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, ManpowerGroup announced the world has entered the Human Age, where talent has replaced capital as the key competitive differentiator. This concept of talentism as the new capitalism continues to resonate and was echoed as a core theme of the 2012 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Learn more about this new age at www.manpowergroup.com/humanage

Gain access to ManpowerGroup's extensive thought leadership papers, annual Talent Shortage surveys and the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, one of the most trusted indices of employment activity in the world, via the ManpowerGroup World of Work Insight iPad application. This thought leadership app explores the challenges faced by employers navigating the changing world of work and provides in-depth commentary, analysis, insight and advice on strategies for success. 

Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: twitter.com/manpowergroupjj. Joerres is one of only six Fortune 500 CEOs who leverages a Twitter account to get his message out.

SOURCE Manpower Inc.