MILWAUKEE, Dec. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, advises business leaders to simplify their organizations to accelerate workforce performance in 2014, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today reported the overall jobless rate fell to 7.0 percent.  Jobs were added in transportation and warehousing, healthcare and manufacturing.

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"Like a plane sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off, 2013 has been a year of holding steady when it comes to expanding workforces and investing in operations," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO.  "Ongoing uncertainty has impacted the traditional risk-reward strategy for growth, and company leaders are averse to make decisions regarding hiring when there is too much outside their control. For growth to take off in 2014, business leaders need to simplify to accelerate performance and manage risk to prevent unwanted outcomes."

As uncertainty remains the new normal of today's economy, employers need to become increasingly agile to thrive in the marketplace. Workforce agility is a key driver of business success and employers are recognizing the benefits of reduced costs and increased flexibility to ramp up or down staff levels based on demand for products and services.

"Talent agility is imperative for growth, and it can be achieved through flexible work models that tap into different sources of talent to find the right-skilled individuals when they are needed.  At the same time, attention must be given to ongoing leader development of high potential talent. Cultivating and retaining top talent is critical and the risk of losing them to the competition must be managed through effective engagement that drives performance and builds loyalty," said Joerres.

According to a recent online poll by Right Management, the talent and career management experts within ManpowerGroup, 83 percent of nearly 900 workers intend to actively seek a new position in 2014. Only 5 percent of those surveyed plan to stay in their current positions.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup™ (NYSE: MAN) is the world leader in innovative workforce solutions that ensure the talent sustainability of the world's workforce for the good of companies, communities, countries, and individuals themselves. Specializing in solutions that help organizations achieve business agility and workforce flexibility, ManpowerGroup leverages its 65 years of world of work expertise to create the work models, design the people practices and access the talent sources its clients need for the future. From staffing, recruitment, workforce consulting, outsourcing and career management to assessment, training and development, ManpowerGroup delivers the talent to drive the innovation and productivity of organizations in a world where talentism is the dominant economic system. Every day, ManpowerGroup connects more than 630,000 people to work and builds their experience and employability through its relationships with 400,000 clients across 80 countries and territories. ManpowerGroup's suite of solutions is offered through ManpowerGroup™ Solutions, Manpower®, Experis™ and Right Management®. ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the third consecutive year in 2013, confirming our position as the most trusted brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible at www.manpowergroup.com. Follow ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO Jeff Joerres on Twitter: Twitter.com/manpowergroupjj   

SOURCE ManpowerGroup