DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions and World Economic Forum (WEF) strategic partner, is for the first time in its history sharing its annual analysis of the macro-economic forces evolving the world of work.  This research, titled "How to Navigate the Human Age," was published today at the 2012 WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. It defines how to find the best talent and implement the right work models and people practices to win in a new era of incessant change.  

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Exactly one year ago, ManpowerGroup announced at the 2011 WEF Annual Meeting that the world had entered the Human Age, a volatile and complex new era in which access to talent has replaced access to capital as the key competitive differentiator.  Soon after, a range of transformational events — including natural catastrophes, political upheaval, social unrest, economic and financial uncertainties — intensified. The new challenges and related marketplace risks are connected in their effect. 

"The pace at which forces and events are converging and affecting the world of work absolutely requires expert consulting," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO. "ManpowerGroup has spent years tracking macro-economic forces which enable us to identify critical and current World of Work trends. The intelligence we have gained enables us to help our clients navigate and win."

The shifting balance in world economic power means emerging markets are performing strongly while more established economies are declining in marketshare and influence. The increasingly bifurcated world and reversed growth has intensified the world's great skills mismatch. ManpowerGroup's 2011 Talent Shortage Survey shows one-third of employers worldwide cannot fill business-critical positions even as unemployment rates remain high.

This trend is reinforced by an inversion of scarcity and abundance. Human talent, once thought to be an infinite resource is now in short supply, while once elusive information is now ubiquitous. Fast-paced technology development has spurred this prolific growth as the world has become interconnected like never before, fostering infinite creativity and innovation.   

Human Age leaders must be able to evolve flexible work models which integrate a dynamic mix of workers; advance contemporary people practices that redefine how talent is hired, rewarded, engaged and developed; and improve talent pipelines by tapping different sources of talent and re-skilling current employees. Re-skilling often requires ManpowerGroup's Teachable Fit model, used to identify and cross-train workers who have the capability and potential to be developed into other roles.

As forces continue to evolve, ManpowerGroup, the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, is best positioned to define their impact on business and provide the strategies needed to navigate them "How to Navigate the Human Age" is available for download at http://www.manpowergroup.com/research/research.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 $22 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 the ManpowerGroup can help you win in the Human Age at www.manpowergroup.com.

ManpowerGroup is the most trusted brand in the industry, being the only company in our industry to be named to the Ethisphere Institute's 2011 World's Most Ethical Companies list for our proven commitment to ethical business practices, including an outstanding commitment to ethical leadership, compliance practices and corporate social responsibility. In addition, ManpowerGroup has also been recognized as the industry leader by Fortune magazine, who named the company in first place on its 2011 list of the Most Admired Companies in the temporary help sector.

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

Gain access to ManpowerGroup's extensive thought leadership papers, annual Talent Shortage surveys and the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, one of the most trusted indices of employment activity in the world, via the ManpowerGroup World of Work Insight iPad application. This thought leadership app explores the challenges faced by employers navigating the changing world of work and provides in-depth commentary, analysis, insight and advice on strategies for success. 

Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: twitter.com/manpowergroupjj. Joerres is one of only six Fortune 500 CEOs who leverages a Twitter account to get his message out.

SOURCE ManpowerGroup