Manpower Inc. Announces Opening of International Partnership Office in Shanghai, Marking the First Phase of Historic Cooperation with Chinese Labor Authorities

May 24, 2005 at 12:01 AM EDT

MILWAUKEE, May 24, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Manpower Inc., a world leader in the employment services industry, announced today the launch of its first international partnership office in China. This initiative is the first in a series of public-private partnerships designed to introduce and adapt international employment best practices to support China's rapidly expanding economy.

"This is an unprecedented partnership program between a governmental institution in China and a global employment services corporation on employment, vocational training and employment services," said David Arkless, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Manpower Inc. "This is the first time a governmental institution in China has partnered with an outside entity on a project of this magnitude."

Manpower Inc. is partnering with labor authorities to develop human resources strategies and infrastructure to support China's rapidly evolving labor requirements. The first international partnership office opened in Shanghai on 1 May, and has implemented various initiatives to assist governmental agencies, State Owned Enterprises and foreign companies present in Shanghai in transforming the effectiveness and efficiency of employment systems and services.

"We are pleased to apply Manpower's 57 years of labor market expertise to work with the Chinese labor authorities as they position their workforce to support current and future economic growth," said Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeffrey A. Joerres. "Manpower has a strong track record of working with governmental organizations to develop and enhance national labor markets. At the same time, expanding our service offering in China and throughout Asia is a key part of our global growth strategy." Manpower currently operates more than 4,300 offices in 68 countries.

Initial development projects include the quantification of future vocational skills and training required in Shanghai, the installation of Internet-based assessment systems in local employment offices, the design and provision of training and development programs, and cooperation on the development of senior governmental officials through global exchange and delegation programs.

Manpower has engaged its subsidiaries, Right Management Consultants and CareerHarmony, in the design and implementation of these projects. In addition, Caden Corporation, Manpower's global governmental advisory partner, has been involved throughout the development of this key initiative.

Iain Herbertson, managing director of Manpower's Asia Pacific region, believes that Manpower's strategy of organic expansion in China will be significantly enhanced by the launch of this series of governmental partnerships. "Our expanding network of operations will both support and benefit from our close relationships with the authorities," said Herbertson.

Further partnership office openings are scheduled in other large cities in China throughout the year. These openings will run in parallel with the further expansion of Manpower's already significant local operations.

Manpower first entered the Greater Chinese market in 1964, opening an office in Hong Kong. Today, the Manpower/Right network in China includes 38 offices, including Mainland China (17), Hong Kong (6) and Taiwan (15). Manpower China is headquartered in Shanghai.

About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the employment services industry, offering customers a continuum of services to meet their needs throughout the employment and business cycle. The company specializes in permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment; training; career transition; organizational consulting services; and professional financial services. Manpower's worldwide network of 4,300 offices in 68 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 customers 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, enabling customers to concentrate on their core business activities. In addition to the Manpower brand, the company operates under the brand names of Right Management Consultants, Jefferson Wells, Elan and Brook Street. More information on Manpower Inc. is available at http://www.manpower.com .

Manpower Inc. Fact Sheet

    About Manpower Inc.

Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN), a world leader in the employment services industry, offers customers a continuum of services to meet their needs throughout the employment and business cycle. The company specializes in permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment; training; career transition; organizational consulting services; and professional financial services. Manpower's worldwide network of 4,300 offices in 68 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 customers 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, enabling customers to concentrate on their core business activities. The firm does this through the Manpower family of companies, which includes: Jefferson Wells, Right Management Consultants, Elan and Brook Street.

Manpower Inc. Solutions       Manpower and its subsidiaries provide
     Permanent Staffing,           workforce solutions to meet the challenges
     Managed Services, and         of an ever-changing business environment
     Contract Recruitment          through permanent staffing, managed
     & Staffing                    services, and contract recruitment and
                                   staffing.  Specifically ...
                                   Manpower -- provides permanent and
                                   contractual staffing, and managed services.
                                   Jefferson Wells -- provides professional
                                   financial services through contract
                                   staffing in the areas of internal audit and
                                   controls, technology risk management, tax,
                                   finance and accounting.
                                   Elan -- provides IT permanent and contract
                                   recruitment solutions, and managed services
                                   within niche business areas.
                                   Brook Street -- provides U.K. customers
                                   across all industries with office and light
                                   industrial positions on both a permanent
                                   staffing and contractual staffing basis.

     Employee Assessment           In partnership with CareerHarmony, Manpower
                                   provides advanced online selection,
                                   screening and assessment products to assist
                                   HR professionals in overcoming the problems
                                   associated with recruiting employees.  The
                                   firm's employee assessment tools and
                                   technologies, based on five decades of HR
                                   experience and scientific methodolgy,
                                   ensure that temporary workers or full-time
                                   hires will deliver clients the desired
                                   business results.

     Training                      Manpower offers its workers and clients a
                                   vast array of training solutions.  The
                                   company's Global Learning Center offers
                                   approximately 3,000 e-learning courses for
                                   end-user software applications, business
                                   skills, professional development skills,
                                   IT, telecommunications and more.  The
                                   company also offers innovative, instructor-
                                   led training available for contact center
                                   skills, service quality, medical
                                   terminology, health and safety,
                                   manufacturing practices and other skills
                                   that enable the firm to provide clients
                                   with the precisely skilled people to meet
                                   their business demands.

     Organizational Consulting     Right Management Consultants works with
     Services                      companies to ensure that they are operating
                                   at an optimized level.  This includes
                                   aligning critical skills and competencies
                                   with company strategy.  The firm designs
                                   customized solutions for enhanced
                                   assessment, leadership development,
                                   strategic talent management and strategy
                                   implementation.

     Career Transition             Right Management Consultants develops
     (Outplacement Services)       effective and efficient programs/services
                                   for separating employees and provides those
                                   people with the support and resources they
                                   need to transition into other jobs.  The
                                   firm also develops strategies to address
                                   downsizing issues and reengage ongoing
                                   employees with their work and careers with
                                   the organization.


    Manpower Operations in China

Manpower entered the Greater Chinese market in 1964, opening an office in Hong Kong. Today, the Manpower/Right network in China includes 38 offices, including Mainland China (17), Hong Kong (6) and Taiwan (15). Manpower China is headquartered in Shanghai.

Manpower Announces Agreement with the Chinese Government

Manpower Inc. entered into an agreement with China's Bureau of Labour and Social Security to develop human resources strategies and infrastructure aimed at supporting the country's continued economic growth.

As part of the agreement, Manpower and its subsidiaries provide consulting expertise to help establish local government-sponsored employment offices in some of China's largest cities. Right Management Consultants, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manpower Inc., offers services such as career transition, organizational consulting, including assessment, leadership development, strategy implementation and strategic talent management. Other Manpower partners are Caden Corporation, Manpower's global governmental advisor, and Working Links, a UK-based social employment provider.

A key component of this agreement is a Web-based skills assessment technology. CareerHarmony, a majority-owned company of Manpower, provides this online assessment. CareerHarmony is a pioneer in advanced computer-based selection, screening and assessment products that assist human resources professionals in overcoming the problems associated with traditional high-volume recruitment methods.

SOURCE Manpower Inc.

Tom Schroeder, Corporate & Global Communications of Manpower Inc.,
+1-414-906-7272, or thomas.schroeder@manpower.com
http://www.prnewswire.com

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