Hudson Employment Index(SM) Gains 3.3 Points NEW YORK, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Hudson Employment Index(SM) climbed to 103.4 from 100.1 in December, reflecting a substantial increase in the confidence of U.S. workers. Increased optimism about personal finances and job security fueled the jump in the Index. This month marked the first time since January 2005 that the Index was higher than the same month last year. All Contributing Factors Make Gains For the third consecutive month, more workers (43 percent) reported that their personal finances were improving, a three-point rise from November and a seven-point rise from September. This was the highest value reported since February. Forty percent of workers said their finances were getting worse, a two-point drop from the previous month. Additionally, 73 percent of workers surveyed were not concerned about losing their jobs in December, up from 71 percent in November. Other measures influencing the Hudson Employment Index, including expected layoffs and job satisfaction, also showed minor improvements. Hiring expectations remained flat, with 30 percent saying their firms would hire in the coming months. "Heading into the new year, across-the-board improvements are giving rise to a more hopeful workforce, consistent with a growing demand for skilled labor and increased financial confidence," said Steve Wolfe, executive vice president, Hudson, North America. "Multiple signs indicate that improving expectations about the employment market will jump start 2006." Private Sector Managers More Upbeat Bolstering the optimism reported by the workforce at large, managers in the private sector were significantly more confident in the employment market than in November. Forty-one percent said their companies planned to add staff, up from 35 percent in November. Additionally, 25 percent said their finances were excellent, compared to 20 percent the previous month. Other sectors reporting stronger confidence in the employment market in December included workers earning between $20,000 - $75,000 and information technology and manufacturing professionals. All Workers All Workers All Workers December 2005 Average 2005 December 2004 Hudson Employment Index 103.4 101.5 102.9 Expected hiring 30% 31% 31% Expected layoffs 17% 17% 19% Rated personal finances as excellent 13% 12% 11% Happy with job 75% 74% 70% * A more detailed data report is available at http://www.hudson-index.com/. Hudson, one of the world's leading professional staffing, outsourcing and human capital solutions providers, publishes the Hudson Employment Index, a monthly measure of U.S. worker confidence in the employment market. Results are not seasonally adjusted. Next month's Hudson Employment Index will be released on February 1, 2006. Beginning next month, results will be available for Hispanic workers and those in the legal sector. The Hudson Employment Index The Hudson Employment Index (Hudson-Index.com) is based on monthly telephone surveys with approximately 9,000 U.S. workers. The Index tracks aggregate employment trends regarding 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 11 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. The Index surveys four occupational sectors: accounting and finance, health care, information technology, and manufacturing. The Hudson Employment Index also measures employee confidence by age, gender, race and compensation. Data reported in this release is based on a national telephone survey of 9,294 working Americans during the month of December. 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. Note to Editors Hudson recently launched an updated Web site (http://www.hudson-index.com/) with improved access to city- and occupation-specific data. Hudson Hudson delivers specialized professional staffing, outsourcing, and human capital solutions worldwide. From single placements to total solutions, the firm helps clients achieve greater organizational performance by assessing, recruiting, developing and engaging the best and brightest people for their businesses. Hudson is a division of Hudson Highland Group, Inc. one of the world's leading professional staffing, retained executive search and human capital solutions providers. The company employs more than 3,800 professionals serving clients and candidates in more than 20 countries through its Hudson and Highland Partners businesses. More information is available at http://www.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 Anshula Ahluwalia, of Ogilvy Public Relations, +1-312-397-6074, , for Hudson Web site: http://www.hudson.com/

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