Strategically Prepare for Fluctuating Demand, ManpowerGroup Advises Employers, Even as U.S. Employment Rate Drops

Flexible Work Models Are Key To Driving Productivity in Volatile Economy, ManpowerGroup Says

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Feb 03, 2012, 02:28 ET

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, reminds employers that creating flexible work models that employ a range of full-time, contingent and virtual skilled workers is the way to drive productivity in a disruptive environment, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today reported that the overall January unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest level since February 2009, and that the private sector added 257,000 new jobs last month. The economy has added U.S. jobs for 16 consecutive months.

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"Last month's genuine job growth and the revised BLS figures from 2011 clearly boosts the nation's hiring confidence, but we do expect demand to continue fluctuating," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO. "Employers must master flexible work models which enable them to tap the right skilled talent, even remotely located, in a moment's notice. The pressure to drive productivity while volatile market conditions vacillate is intensifying. Companies that cannot quickly tap the right talent to execute their business strategy inevitably lose their competitive edge."

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.

"As the talent mismatch in the United States exacerbates, employers can expect ManpowerGroup to provide bigger picture solutions that address both supply and demand issues," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup President of the Americas. "Fast-growing industries – such as R&D and IT, as well as certain segments of manufacturing – struggle to recruit the right trained workers in the United States, but with ManpowerGroup's suite of comprehensive services and solutions, employers in these industries can find, recruit and develop the right workers regardless of where they're located."

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