The New Plan for Europe: Greater Unity Key to Drive High Employment and Growth

BRUSSELS, May 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jeff Joerres, Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO, speaking at the WEF plenary session Delivering Inclusive Growth: Lessons from the Lisbon Strategy in Brussels today, called for a cross-border cohesive approach among governments, businesses and individuals to set Europe back on the path to success by 2020.

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Joerres, who is co-chair of the World Economic Forum on Europe, was joined by the session's chair Geoff Cutmore from CNBC and fellow panelists Chander P. Gurnani, CEO at Mahindra Satyam, Lord Levene, Chairman of Lloyd's, Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP and Ruben K. Vardanian, Chairman and CEO, Troika Dialog Group.

Contributors to the plenary session discussed how the vision of the Lisbon Strategy, set out a decade ago, has not come to pass, marred first as the dot.com bubble burst and then later by the credit crunch and subsequent economic recession. GDPs are in decline and unemployment is high. The question raised in the panel discussion was: what measures are required to set Europe back on the path to success by 2020?

Joerres expressed his belief that employment lies at the heart of economic prosperity: "High employment makes everything work. It brings economic vibrancy to a nation; it allows people to feel a real sense of worth and provides opportunities for them to develop," he said. "Moreover, it brings flexibility to a nation and region because of the simple fact of the creation of value for all stakeholders. The issue is creating high employment in a sustainable manner."

Joerres went on to explain that labor markets operate on a basic supply and demand philosophy. Therefore, in order to support high employment, demand needs to be stimulated but supply must also be ready to deliver. "In Europe, and across the world, unemployment may be high, yet many employers are struggling to fill jobs due to the worsening talent mismatch," added Joerres, "The skills employers are seeking do not match up with those that are readily available. It's a case of not finding the right talent, in the right place, at the right time."

The panel discussed several potential solutions, including focus on training and investing in the individual in order to upskill candidates and provide the skills the labor market is seeking, while others focus on increasing labor market flexibility and mobility between nations to allow for a free flow of talent to wherever it is needed. Joerres said, "Ultimately any such measures require governments, businesses and individuals to work together in order to be successful and it is this cohesive approach which is likely to be key; not only between these interested parties within national borders, but across Europe."

Joerres highlighted to attendees the three important elements which must be present to achieve successful high employment: new businesses being established, current businesses that are growing, and sufficient talent to fuel both. In order to achieve this, governments, companies and individuals need to work together to create a sustainable, vibrant environment where new businesses can thrive, companies can grow and people have the opportunities they need to develop.

About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in innovative workforce solutions; 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 and solutions 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 nearly 4,000 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.

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