Hudson Employment Index(SM) Registers 106.2 NEW YORK, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Coming off of a 15-month high of 108.2 in February, the Hudson Employment Index(SM) fell two points in March to 106.2. While none of the factors influencing the Index reported any noteworthy changes, there was a slight easing of optimism virtually across the board. The latest reading remains among the highest on record and considerably stronger than last March, when it was 101.2. Workers Expect Less Hiring, Firing The number of workers expecting their firms to hire dropped one point to 32 percent in March after reaching a near record high (33 percent) in February. Nonetheless, confidence regarding hiring expectations was higher in March than in all of 2005. In addition, fewer workers anticipated their firms would resort to layoffs, declining from 17 percent in February to 16 percent. "While the latest Index registered a slight hiccup in worker confidence in March, the last two months indicate that the job market continues to strengthen, particularly compared to last year," said Steve Wolfe, executive vice president, Hudson, North America. "Leading indicators are pointing in multiple directions, but the work force is holding onto a general sense of financial well-being and job satisfaction." What a Difference a Year Makes While 46 percent rated their finances as excellent or good this March, only 43 percent made that claim one year ago. There was also a one-point year- over-year drop to 15 percent in the number of workers who described their financial situations as poor. Additionally, the latest Index found three- quarters of employees were happy with their jobs, compared to 73 percent who made that statement in March 2005. Michigan Worker Sentiment Reflects Struggling Auto Industry As anticipated, job security concerns among Michigan workers were at a record high (29 percent) for the past two months. The number of employees expecting their company to lay off staff is nine points higher in Michigan than reported nationwide (25 percent versus 16 percent). All Workers All Managers Michigan March 2006 March 2006 Workers All Workers March 2006 March 2005 Hudson Employment Index 106.2 113.9 84.4 101.2 Expected hiring 33% 32% 20% 31% Expected lay offs 16% 18% 25% 17% Rated finances as excellent 13% 19% 8% 11% * A more detailed data report is available at http://www.hudson-index.com/. Hudson, one of the world's leading professional staffing, outsourcing and talent management 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 May 3. 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 (http://www.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 five occupational sectors: accounting and finance, health care, information technology, manufacturing and legal. 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 9,442 working Americans during the month of March. The margin of sampling error for a survey based on this number of 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 talent management 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 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: Sarah Kafenstok of Hudson, +1-312-795-4202, ; or Anshula Ahluwalia of Ogilvy Public Relations, +1-312-397-6074, , for Hudson Web site: http://www.hudson.com/ http://www.rasmussenreports.com/

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