EUROPEAN EMPLOYMENT TASKFORCE REPORT VALIDATES MANPOWER’S POSITION ON EMPLOYMENT
Manpower Supports Call to Increase Labour Market Flexibility

LONDON, UK, 27 November 2003 – Manpower Inc., a worldwide provider of higher-value staffing services, has welcomed the recommendations from the European Employment Taskforce Report, issued yesterday (26 November 2003).

Manpower has always advocated a fully flexible labour market as a pre-condition to meeting the Lisbon Summit targets, and this report confirms the validity of this position. Manpower believes that guaranteeing employement flexibility, while also ensuring the protection of individual employee rights with regards to job security, social care etc, will not only help the EU meet the Lisbon Summit goals, but will also ensure that Europe remains a competitive player in the global market. Manpower is itself active in all areas of the staffing industry, from permanent to temporary, and basic employment to higher value services, across the globe. Its own experience demonstrates that only a full range of employment options offers the flexible work environment currently required to fit business conditions and candidate needs across Europe.

Yoav Michaely, executive vice president and managing director, Manpower EMEA, comments: “A flexible work environment is key to future European competitiveness in the global marketplace, and flexible work has an important role to play in meeting employee and company requirements. We fully support the European Employment Taskforce recommendations, and hope that this will be the first step to the review of all restrictions that limit employment, and therefore impact on business growth. We also hope that the taskforce recommendations will spur EU governments on to reviewing the anomalous restrictions in temporary work in domestic legislation, which will further help Europe to move towards achieving the Lisbon Summit goals.”

Headed by Wim Kok, the former Dutch Prime Minister, the Employment Taskforce has presented a report examining how to boost employment in Europe. The report outlines how “the European Union risks failing in its ambitious goal, set at the Lisbon summit in 2000, of becoming by 2010 the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion,” unless its recommendations are followed.

The report states that “labour markets must be made more flexible while providing appropriate levels of security for workers, so as to widen the range of choice for both individuals and employers, and avoid the emergence of a two-tier labour market. They are also advised to work towards the removal of obstacles to temporary work agencies; to promote, modern and more flexible work organisation and to remove obstacles to part-time work.”

About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. is a world leader in the staffing industry, providing workforce management services and solutions to customers through 4,000 offices in 63 countries. The firm annually provides employment to two million people worldwide and is an industry leader in employee assessment and training. Manpower also provides a range of staffing solutions, engagement and consulting services worldwide under the subsidiary brands of Brook Street, Elan, The Empower Group and Jefferson Wells. More information on Manpower Inc. can be found at the company's Web site, www.manpower.com


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jo Perrin at Ruder Finn
020 7462 8900 jperrin@ruderfinn.co.uk