ManpowerGroup Leads World of Work Discussions at World Economic Forum on East Asia 2013

NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar, June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions and World Economic Forum (WEF) strategic partner, will lead discussions on job creation and economic gender parity at the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2013 in Myanmar, titled "Courageous Transformation for Inclusion and Integration."

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The 22^nd WEF on East Asia is the first leading international gathering of senior decision-makers from industry, government, academia and civil society to be held in Myanmar after a series of bold economic and political reforms. The country assumes the chairmanship of geopolitical and economic organization the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2014, with the region becoming a pillar of the global economy.

Simon Matthews, ManpowerGroup Managing Director, Thailand, Vietnam and Middle East, will today examine how Myanmar can achieve inclusive growth during the session, "Building Myanmar's Travel and Tourism Industry: Driving Growth and Job Creation" and tomorrow will discuss how gender equality can be achieved by empowering women and girls, including increasing women's economic participation and opportunities during the session "Mainstreaming Gender."

"As industries such as travel and tourism mature within developing markets, it is clear that the growth potential of these industries is entirely dependent on harnessing the available talent and fostering new talent in the Human Age — an era defined by the ingenuity of individuals," said Matthews. "Only through improved collaboration between all stakeholders — business, education, governments and individuals — can nations forecast future needs and ensure a successful balance between talent supply and talent demand."

With talent increasingly becoming the competitive differentiator for companies and countries, there needs to be a greater focus on inclusivity  of women — who comprise half of potential labor pools — at a time of acute skills shortages. ManpowerGroup's 2013 Talent Shortage Survey, released last month, found that 35 percent of employers globally are having difficulty filling key positions. In the Asia-Pacific region, that total rises to 51 percent.

"In this environment, it is crucial to nurture the creative potential of individuals, including new approaches to better engage women — the greatest untapped source of labor in the world," added Matthews. "Revisiting work models and people practices to be more inclusive to women workers can give companies a significant advantage over competitors at a time of acute talent shortages."

Other prominent leaders joining Matthews on his panel discussions include Simon F. Cooper, President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Marriott International Inc.; Klaus Lengefeld, Sector Leader, Tourism and Sustainable Development, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit; Andrea Valentin, Director, Tourism Transparency; Yoko Ishikura, Professor, Graduate School of Media Design, Keio University; and Shelly Esque, President, Intel Foundation.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN) is the world leader in innovative workforce solutions that ensure the talent sustainability of the world's workforce for the good of companies, communities, countries, and individuals themselves. Specializing in solutions that help organizations achieve business agility and workforce flexibility, ManpowerGroup leverages its 65 years of world of work expertise to create the work models, design the people practices and access the talent sources its clients need for the future. From staffing, recruitment, workforce consulting, outsourcing and career management to assessment, training and development, ManpowerGroup delivers the talent to drive the innovation and productivity of organizations in a world where talentism is the dominant economic system. Every day, ManpowerGroup connects more than 630,000 people to work and builds their experience and employability through its relationships with 400,000 clients across 80 countries and territories. ManpowerGroup's suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year in 2013, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible at www.manpowergroup.com. Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: Twitter.com/manpowergroupjj

SOURCE ManpowerGroup