HHGP Hudson Highland Grp., Inc. (MM)

Worker Confidence Recovers as Personal Finance Concerns Subside Hudson Employment Index(SM) Climbs 3.1 Points in June NEW YORK, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Confidence among U.S. workers rebounded in June as the Hudson Employment Index(SM) gained three points, from 99.9 to 103.0. That is the highest reading since January's 107.0 Index, but well below the level of 107.5 during the same period one year ago. The increase was driven by improved perceptions of personal finances and a decline in the number of workers concerned about job loss. After four months of steady decline, 42 percent of workers said their finances are getting better, up from 39 percent a month ago. Conversely, the percent reporting that their situation was getting worse fell three points to 39 percent. Additionally, 45 percent of workers now rate their personal finances as good or excellent, up from 43 percent the previous month. Workers also expressed an improved sense of confidence in their companies' hiring plans. The number who said their companies are hiring held steady at 31 percent, but the number reporting that their organizations are laying workers off fell from 19 percent to 17 percent. Also, fewer U.S. workers are concerned about personal job loss, as that figure dropped one point to 21 percent. "The rebound in worker confidence we saw this month has more to do with workers' self-interests than with companies' overall hiring plans," said Jeff Anderson, senior vice president, Hudson, North America. "Even as employees are feeling more secure in their jobs and finances, employers are still facing the prospect of the summer lull in business activity." Managers, who typically have been more optimistic regarding hiring plans than the national average, fell more in line with the overall workforce this month. In June, the number of managers expecting their companies to hire declined to 32 percent, compared to 35 percent in May. Similar to the overall results, confidence among IT workers recovered in June after plummeting in May. Optimism also rose among the other occupational sector polls for healthcare, accounting & finance, and manufacturing. All All Private Sector IT Workers Managers Managers Workers Personal finances are getting better 42 % 49 % 55 % 45 % Expect hiring 31 % 32 % 45 % 34 % Concerned about job security 21 % 19 % 21 % 29 % *A more detailed data report is available at http://www.hudson-index.com/. With the release of last month's Index, Hudson launched an updated website with easier access to metro market and industry data. The URL remains http://www.hudson-index.com/. Hudson, one of the world's leading professional staffing, outsourcing and human capital solution providers, publishes the Hudson Employment Index, a monthly measure of U.S. workforce confidence in the employment market. Next month's Hudson Employment Index will be released on August 3, 2005. The Hudson Employment Index The Hudson Employment Index (Hudson-Index.com) measures the U.S. workforce's confidence in the employment market. Based upon monthly telephone surveys with approximately 9,000 U.S. workers, the Index tracks aggregate employment trends around career opportunities, hiring intentions, job satisfaction and retention. The data is compiled each month by Rasmussen Reports, LLC, an independent research firm (RasmussenReports.com). Survey results are segmented by eleven metropolitan cities and four industries. The metro markets are: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. Industry sectors surveyed are accounting and finance, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing. The Hudson Employment Index also measures employee confidence by age, gender, race and compensation levels. Data reported in this release is based upon a national telephone survey of 9,240 working Americans during the month of June. The margin of sampling error for a survey based upon this many interviews is approximately 1 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence. The data is not seasonally adjusted. It will be reviewed at year-end to determine if seasonal adjustments are appropriate. The Hudson Employment Index is a service mark owned by Hudson Highland Group, Inc. Hudson Hudson delivers specialized professional staffing, outsourcing and human capital solutions worldwide. From single placements to total solutions, the firm attracts, selects and develops talent to meet the specific business needs of each client. Global practice areas include Accounting & Finance; Engineering, Operations & Scientific; Human Resources; IT & Telecommunications; Legal; and Sales & Marketing. Hudson is a division of Hudson Highland Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HHGP) one of the world's leading professional staffing, retained executive search and human capital solution providers. More information is available at Hudson.com. Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company's strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of our control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in our Form 10-K and our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference. DATASOURCE: Hudson CONTACT: Nikki Leonardi of Hudson, +1-813-890-7521, ; or Sarah Kafenstok of Ogilvy Public Relations, +1-312-397-6025, Web site: http://www.hudson-index.com/

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