VIENNA, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions and a strategic partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF), led a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia in Vienna today discussing the collaboration required between the public and private sectors to design solutions that create a flexible and stable labor market in the region. Francoise Gri, ManpowerGroup President of France and Southern Europe, called for businesses and governments to work together to build a robust labor market that gives businesses the flexibility to hire, and creates an environment which nurtures talent pools and fuels sustainable growth.

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Gri was joined by John Evans, General Secretary, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD, France; Ursula von der Leyen, Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Germany; B. G. Srinivas, Senior Vice-President and Member of the Executive Council, Infosys Technologies; and Danilo Turk, President of the Republic of Slovenia. The session was moderated by Daniel Gros, Director, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Belgium.

"The public sector has the responsibility to create an environment with a regulatory framework that provides flexibility in the way organizations structure their workforce and talent pipeline, yet the stability required for growth and for people to feel secure in their jobs and their homes," comments Gri. "In turn organizations need to develop a robust workforce strategy that not only forecasts their future talent needs, but also identifies existing and potential talent pools and considers how to tap into this potential using innovative solutions that are tailored to the needs of their business and to external factors. This will enable employers to harness the power of the individual to accelerate long term business and economic growth in the Human Age."

This is a challenging time for businesses and individuals alike. The world has experienced a series of epic shifts; the evolving demographic landscape, the rise of individual choice and the continuing pressure to do more with less are converging to impact economic growth in an increasingly volatile world — the Human Age. In this new and challenging landscape, employers have awakened to human potential, recognizing the power of having the right employees, in the right place and at the right time. Employers now realize that talent is more important than ever, but at the same time, have been burned by the recession and are reluctant to hire until they find the perfect fit.

Gri continues: "Although progress has been made in Europe, we still have a long way to go; employers are struggling to find the talent to meet their needs. The findings of our latest Talent Shortage Survey reveal that 26% of employers in the EMEA region are struggling to fill vacancies due to a lack of available talent. This points to an urgent need for businesses and governments to readdress their approach to attracting and retaining business critical talent. Cohesion between the public and private sectors is likely to be key, not only between interested parties within national borders, but across the entire region, as we move towards an increasingly global workforce."

Gri will be leading the ManpowerGroup delegation at the World Economic Forum in Vienna. Among other ManpowerGroup executives participating in the forum, Gri will be joined by Hans Leentjes, ManpowerGroup President of Northern Europe. ManpowerGroup's innovative workforce solutions experts are available for interviews throughout the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia meeting.  To arrange an interview, please contact Britt Zarling at +1.414.526.3107 or britt.zarling@manpowergroup.com.

ManpowerGroup has been a proud strategic partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF) since 2004, and is the only company in the industry to have a strategic partnership with WEF. In January, at the 2011 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, ManpowerGroup announced the world has entered the Human Age, where talent has replaced capital as the key competitive differentiator. ManpowerGroup actively participates in Forum events, industry programs and communities, and is a member of the Women Leaders and Gender Parity program, promoting women's leadership and closing gender gaps. ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres served as co-chair for the Forum's 2010 Europe Summit in Brussels. ManpowerGroup President of Corporate and Government Affairs David Arkless is Chair of the Global Agenda Council on Skills and Talent Mobility. For more information about ManpowerGroup's partnership with the World Economic Forum, visit: http://manpowergroup.com/press/wef2011.cfm

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, creates and delivers high-impact solutions that enable our clients to achieve their business goals and enhance their competitiveness. With over 60 years of experience, our $19 billion company creates unique time to value through a comprehensive suite of innovative solutions that help clients win in the Human Age. These solutions cover an entire range of talent-driven needs from recruitment and assessment, training and development, and career management, to outsourcing and workforce consulting. ManpowerGroup maintains the world's largest and industry-leading network of nearly 3,900 offices in over 80 countries and territories, generating a dynamic mix of an unmatched global footprint with valuable insight and local expertise to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, across all industry sectors, small and medium-sized enterprises, local, multinational and global companies. By connecting our deep understanding of human potential to the ambitions of clients, ManpowerGroup helps the organizations and individuals we serve achieve more than they imagined — because their success leads to our success. And by creating these powerful connections, we create power that drives organizations forward, accelerates personal success and builds more sustainable communities. We help power the world of work. The ManpowerGroup suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. Learn more about how ManpowerGroup can help you win in the Human Age at www.manpowergroup.com.

In January 2011, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, ManpowerGroup announced the world has entered the Human Age, where talent has replaced capital as the key competitive differentiator. Learn more about this new age at www.manpowergroup.com/humanage 

Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: twitter.com/manpowergroupjj.

SOURCE ManpowerGroup