Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Indicates World's Labor Markets Will Still Be...

Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Indicates World's Labor Markets Will Still
Be Challenged in Fourth Quarter 2009, but Many Headed in the Right Direction
Emerging Markets More Optimistic than G7 countries with Indian and Brazilian
Employers Reporting Strongest Hiring Plans Globally; More U.S. Employers Say
They Will Hold On to Current Staff

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- According to the global Manpower
Employment Outlook Survey results released today by Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN),
the fourth quarter of 2009 will continue to challenge job seekers in labor
markets around the world, but employer hiring expectations have improved
somewhat from three months ago in nearly two thirds of the countries and
territories surveyed, suggesting an easing in the pattern of job cuts
prevalent for several quarters. Hiring plans are strongest in the emerging
markets of India and Brazil, while job prospects remain weak in the United
States. However, a greater percentage of U.S. employers expect to keep staff
levels unchanged in the quarter ahead, suggesting some stability. Across
Europe, hiring sentiments remain generally negative but forecasts have
improved in nearly half of the countries compared to the third-quarter
forecast.

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"Job seekers will still have limited opportunities as our data shows the
world's labor markets will not experience recovery in the fourth quarter. The
good news is that many markets appear to be heading in the right direction
with results from 20 countries and territories showing positive movement from
three months ago," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc.
"Interestingly, employers in emerging markets are more optimistic about hiring
compared to their counterparts in more developed economies. While a
quarter-over-quarter comparison shows modest improvements in six of the G7
countries, with the exception of Canada, all are reporting negative hiring
expectations. As demand for their products and services continues to be weak,
employers remain very selective in their hiring process, resulting in a
sluggish job market."

Employers in 17 of 35 countries and territories surveyed expect some positive
hiring activity in the quarter ahead, while those in 15 report negative hiring
expectations with 10 reporting their weakest hiring plans since the survey was
established. Employers in 31 countries and territories are reporting weaker
year-over-year forecasts. Fourth-quarter hiring plans are strongest in India,
Brazil, Colombia, Peru, China, Australia, Singapore, Costa Rica, Canada,
Taiwan and Poland and weakest in Romania, Spain, Ireland, Japan and Mexico.

Many employers in the 18 countries surveyed in the Europe, Middle East and
Africa (EMEA) region continue to report negative hiring expectations for the
quarter ahead, with employers in Poland, Norway, Sweden and South Africa
reporting the only positive, but slow, hiring activity. However, compared to
three months ago, outlooks improved in eight EMEA countries. In contrast,
where year-over-year comparisons can be made, hiring intentions are weaker in
15 countries. Job prospects in the region are strongest in Poland and weakest
in Romania.

"Eighty percent of employers in Europe are telling us they will make no
changes to their staffs, which will most likely lead to some labor market
stability in the fourth quarter," said Joerres. "European job seekers in the
Manufacturing sector will continue to encounter a difficult market,
particularly in Germany, where employers lower their hiring expectations for
the sixth consecutive quarter."

Employment prospects have improved in comparison to the third quarter across
six of the eight countries and territories surveyed in the Asia Pacific
region. However, hiring activity is expected to be slower than historical
patterns across the region. Employment prospects are strongest in India, China
and Australia with the weakest and only negative outlooks reported in Japan
and New Zealand. Compared to 12 months ago, employer hiring expectations are
weaker in all countries and territories, most notably in Japan, India and Hong
Kong.

"Indian employers have absorbed the layoffs conducted in the third quarter and
are telling us they will begin hiring again at a conservative pace, but most
intend to keep their workforces intact through the end of the year. Government
stimulus efforts around infrastructure projects are contributing to
accelerated hiring plans in India's Mining and Construction sector," said
Joerres. "Meanwhile, hiring expectations in China are among the most
optimistic of the year, with outlooks improving from three months ago across
all industry sectors, particularly in the Finance/Insurance/Real Estate and
the Services sectors."

Across the nine countries surveyed in the Americas region, hiring expectations
have improved from three months ago in all countries with the exception of the
U.S. and Mexico, where hiring plans of employers in both countries are at
their weakest since Manpower established the survey. On the other hand,
year-over-year comparisons reveal weaker hiring activity throughout the
region. Manpower surveyed Brazilian employers for the first time this quarter.

"The solid job prospects in Brazil are being bolstered by the Services sector
where 37 percent of employers expect to add employees in the quarter ahead.
Employer optimism in Canada bounces back into positive territory with the
Construction and Finance/Insurance/Real Estate sectors holding the most
promise for job seekers," said Joerres. "To the south, the U.S. and Mexican
labor markets continue to struggle in tandem, with the majority of employers
continuing hiring freezes, opting instead to get work done with the staff they
have until conditions improve."

The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 8 December
2009 to report hiring expectations for the first quarter of 2010. The
Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of charge to the public
through their local Manpower representative in participating countries. To
receive e-mail notification when the survey is available each quarter,
interested individuals are invited to complete an online subscription form at:
http://investor.manpower.com/investors/alerts.cfm.

Note to Editors
Commentary is based on seasonally adjusted data where available. Full survey
results for each of the 35 countries and territories included in this
quarter's survey, plus regional and global comparisons, can be found in the
Manpower Press Room at www.manpower.com/meos. In addition, all tables and
graphs from the full report are available to be downloaded for use in
publication or broadcast from the Manpower Web site at
http://www.manpower.com/library.

About the Survey
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure
employers' intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their
workforce during the next quarter. It is the most extensive forward-looking
survey of its kind, unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity and area of
focus. The Survey has been running for more than 45 years and is one of the
most trusted surveys of employment activity in the world. The Manpower
Employment Outlook Survey is based on interviews with over 72,000 public and
private employers worldwide and is considered a highly respected economic
indicator.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is currently available for 35 countries
and territories: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,
China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Spain,
South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United
States. The program began in the United States and Canada in 1962, and the
United Kingdom was added in 1966. Mexico and Ireland launched the survey in
2002, and 13 additional countries were added to the program in 2003. New
Zealand joined the program in 2004, China, India, Switzerland and Taiwan were
added in 2005, and Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica and South Africa joined in
2006. Colombia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Guatemala, Poland and Romania
joined in 2008 and Hungary and Brazil were added in 2009. For more
information, visit the Manpower Inc. Web site at www.manpower.com and enter
the Research Center, or contact Bruce Bock, Sr. Global Communications Manager
at bruce.bock@manpower.com

About Manpower Inc.
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the employment services
industry; 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 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 4,100 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.

Marci Pelzer of Manpower, +1-414-687-8441 (mobile),
marcelline.pelzer@manpower.com