Manpower Inc. Social Responsibility Report Highlights Global/Local Approach to Create a Bridge to Employment for Disadvantaged Individuals

November 20, 2007 at 12:00 AM EST

MILWAUKEE, WI, USA (20 November 2007) - Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) announced today the publication of its first ever stand-alone Social Responsibility Report. The report's theme, "Take a Look Around" highlights stories about the individuals who have been touched by the company's role as an agent of positive social change, particularly in the area of workforce development, which forms the cornerstone of Manpower's social responsibility agenda.

"At any given moment, if you take a look around you in a crowd, there will be at least one person who has been helped by Manpower to find employment at some point in his or her life," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman and CEO, Manpower Inc. "In 2006 alone, we found permanent or temporary jobs for 4.4 million people through our offices all over the world - that's just what we do every day.

"Beyond this, we make a special effort in the 4,000+ communities and neighborhoods where we have offices to identify the groups of individuals who are unable to make a connection to work due to inadequate skills, poor education, disabilities or other challenges which create barriers to employment. Helping these individuals to get the training and other services that they need to gain sustainable employment is the part of our role in the world of work that makes me the most proud to be a part of this company," said Joerres.

In 2006, Manpower Inc. social responsibility programs resulted in: 

  • 35,000 people with disabilities, inadequate skills and education gaps provided with significant training and assistance to find sustainable jobs 
  • $2.6 million contributed in funding and services to charitable causes
  • 30,000 hours of volunteer time donated to community service projects.

The Manpower Social Responsibility Report released today is significant because this was the year in which the company expanded its social responsibility program to make a greater impact on some of the world's most pressing challenges. The four pillars of the company's expanded social responsibility platform are: workforce development, disaster recovery, reaching out to refugees and combating human trafficking.

The company's disaster recovery efforts were a natural extension of the workforce development initiatives that Manpower has championed for decades. The report highlights Manpower's ongoing assistance to victims of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, who continue to require extensive support in their struggle to recover and gain sustainable employment since the disasters. The company's vocational training centers in Tamil Nadu, India, enabled more than 1,000 people to become trained in new careers in 2006.

In addition, the company's partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its ninemillion.org campaign is focused on providing education to the world's nine million refugee children, who are exiled in refugee camps from Thailand to Central America. Without access to education, these children will not be able to engage in the workforce when they are eventually repatriated and transitioned back into society.

The company is also a leader in the effort to end human trafficking, a modern form of slavery, through a partnership with the Suzanne Mubarak Women's International Peace Movement. Manpower was the first signatory of the Athens Ethical Principles, which declares a "zero tolerance" policy for working with any entity benefiting in any way from human trafficking, and is working to get 1,000 of the world's leading corporations to join in signing the Principles.

For more information on Manpower's global social responsibility program or to download a copy of Manpower's 2006 Social Responsibility Report, go to the Social Responsibility section on the company's Web site at www.manpower.com.

About Manpower Inc.
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the employment services industry; creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. The $18 billion company offers employers a range of services 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 4,400 offices in 73 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.