Collaborate with Regional Educators to Advance Job Training, ManpowerGroup Tells U.S. Employers

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, advocates that U.S. companies develop the skills of their local populations by collaborating with regional educators, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today reported the overall September jobless rate fell to 7.8 % from August's 8.1% rate. The U.S. private sector added 114,000 new jobs last month, while August's jobs figure was revised up from 96,000 to 142,000 and July's figure was revised up from 141,000 to 181,000.

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"As the U.S. jobless rate fluctuates, employers must stay focused on building out a long-term workforce strategy if they want to gain an edge over their competitors who are also forced to develop the in-demand skilled talent, which has becoming increasingly scarce in the Human Age," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO. "One essential strategy for building a talent pipeline is for companies to advise local educators on the skills and training they demand now and will demand in the future."

"Likewise, individuals must stay focused on strategizing long-term employment security by ensuring they develop the skills that employers will demand in the future," Joerres added.  "More solutions that develop and align area talent with the right opportunities must be developed at state levels to enhance the growth of U.S. companies and regional economies."

ManpowerGroup Solutions' Strategic Workforce Consulting business is working with Competitive Wisconsin Inc. (CWI) to develop a long-term workforce strategy for the state. The initiative is part of CWI's ongoing "Be Bold" program to enhance how Wisconsin competes, grows jobs and strengthens its economy. The program works to produce clusters of in-demand skilled workers that help the current workforce, support employers and position Wisconsin as a top destination state for both talent and businesses.

In South Dakota, where unemployment remains under 5%, ManpowerGroup has been hired by the state as part of an effort called "South Dakota Wins" to recruit more than 1,000 new workers across the U.S. for open positions. Jobs range in industries from manufacturing to engineering to information technology. http://www.southdakotawins.com

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for Q4 in the United States was the strongest fourth quarter outlook in five years.  According to seasonally adjusted data, hiring intentions have grown increasingly confident throughout the last three years with no declines in the Net Employment Outlook quarter-over-quarter. The continued climb in confidence marks three years of gradually improving hiring intentions, which were preceded by three quarters of pessimistic employment plans. Hiring intentions continue to climb with employers in 49 out of 50 states reporting positive hiring intentions. Similarly, employers in 99 out of the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas report positive hiring intentions to close out the year.

According to ManpowerGroup's 2012 Talent Shortage Survey results, 49% of U.S. employers struggle to fill mission-critical positions. Skilled trades, engineering and IT positions continue to rank among the top 10 hardest jobs to fill, year after year.

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 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 20 Fortune 500 CEOs who leverages a Twitter account to get his message out.

SOURCE ManpowerGroup