Stay Focused on Long-Term Workforce Planning, ManpowerGroup Advises U.S. Employers, Even as Demand Picks Up

Hiring Picks Up Across More Sectors, According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Mar 09, 2012, 03:16 ET

MILWAUKEE, March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, reminds employers that as demand increases, stay focused on planning both short- and long-term workforce models, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today reported that the overall February jobless rate remained at 8.3 percent, and that the private sector added 233,000 new jobs last month.

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Job growth was most evident in professional and business services, health care, and leisure and hospitality industries. Professional and business services added 82,000 jobs – and temporary jobs represented half that figure.

"As the need to hire picks up across industries, employers need to consider the range of variables that will affect their long-term workforce needs," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO. "A flexible workforce model versus a traditional model based mainly on fulltime workers is the way to accommodate fluctuating demand. Last month's boost in temporary jobs shows that the need to build out flexible work models is resonating with employers. To stay competitive in today's economy, employers must be able to tap the right skilled talent in real time, in order to respond to fluctuating demand for their products and services."

Multi-industry job growth also helps boost the morale of job seekers.

"Workers and employers should be encouraged by the breadth of domestic job growth we're seeing, coast to coast as well as across industries," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup President of the Americas. "Developing and refining skills must continue to be a top priority for all workers as we continue to see hiring trends fluctuate."

ManpowerGroup's 2011 Talent Shortage Survey found that 52 percent of U.S. companies are struggling to fill key jobs, the highest percentage in the six-year history of the survey. ManpowerGroup advises companies to think long-term because the talent mismatch will inevitably worsen as demand for products and services increase.

Look for the Second Quarter 2012 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey results next Tuesday, March 13, 2012. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012.

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 3,900 offices in over 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, being the only company in our industry to be named to the Ethisphere Institute's 2011 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 addition, ManpowerGroup has also been recognized as the industry leader by Fortune magazine, who named the company in first place on its 2011 list of the Most Admired Companies in the temporary help sector.

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 ManpowerGroup