EMBARGOED UNTIL TUESDAY, 12 MARCH 2013 AT GMT

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1 EMBARGOED UNTIL TUESDAY, 12 MARCH 2013 AT GMT Media Contact: Juan David Tous (4) LABOR MARKET IN COLOMBIA EXPECTED TO MOVE AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER PACE ManpowerGroup s Global Hiring Confidence Index Shows that the Colombian Labor Market is Trending Slightly Weaker. But Projects in Development are Boosting Employer Confidence. MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA (12 th March, 2013) Employers surveyed by Manpower in Colombia are anticipating a steady hiring pace in the second quarter, but plans to increase payrolls are slightly weaker than they were both one quarter and one year ago. The Net Employment Outlook (statistical figure that results from taking the percentage of employers that forecast increases of staff and subtracting from it the percentage of those planning cutbacks) has declined to +16% for April through June, According to Ms Rosalba Montoya Pereira, Director of the Andean Zone, ManpowerGroup South America, These results reflect the current pattern of rapid changes and relative uncertainty in the markets, but employers have not stopped the hiring activity. After several years of lessons we have learned that creating jobs is profitable at all levels for a country like Colombia. Our sample of 750 employers for the survey gave us very interesting information, with 25% of them planning to increase their payrolls, 9% thinking about reducing their payrolls and a substantial 66% saying that they plan to keep their current workforces intact through the April-June time frame. This is very important for the country s productivity in general terms, and we can always do more, of course. Employers in Colombian regions report varying degrees of positive hiring activity for the next quarter, according to the survey. The most optimistic Outlook is reported in the Caribbean, with a Net Employment Outlook of+26%, followed by the Orinoquía, with +18%, while Outlooks stand at +15% and +12% in the Andean and Amazon regions, respectively. Pacific employers report the weakest regional hiring plans, but the Outlook still stands at a cautiously optimistic +10%. These figures are modest in a general scope, but they show that the Caribbean is moving at the rhythm of growing foreign trade and that this brings services and other businesses. The Orinoquía, where a lot

2 of the hydrocarbons are moving the marketplace, is still in motion. The other regions are also active, but this time of the year tends to stability more than to increases, says Ms Montoya. Seasonally adjusted data is available for seven of the nine industry sectors. Employers in all seven sectors expect to grow payrolls during 2Q The strongest hiring prospects are reported in the Services sector and the Public Administration & Education sector, with Net Employment Outlooks of +23% and +22%, respectively. Elsewhere, Agriculture & Fishing sector employers report an upbeat Outlook of +15% and respectable hiring prospects are evident in both the Manufacturing sector and the Transportation & Utilities sector, with Outlooks of +14%. Quarter-over-quarter, employers in three of the seven industry sectors report Outlook declines of 2 percentage points - the Manufacturing sector, the Services sector and the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade sector. Meanwhile, hiring prospects improve by 6 percentage points in the Transportation & Utilities sector. Elsewhere, hiring intentions either remain relatively stable or are unchanged. Year-over-year, hiring prospects weaken in five of the seven industry sectors. Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector employers report a considerable decline of 15 percentage points, and Outlooks decrease by 7 and 6 percentage points in the Transportation & Utilities sector and the Agriculture & Fishing sector, respectively. Meanwhile, employers in the Public Administration & Education sector report a 4 percentage point improvement in the Outlook. For the first time, the Mining and Construction sectors are reported individually. Mining sector employers reported a Net Employment Outlook of +27% and those in Construction +16%. The Mining sector is still the subject of discussions about environmental issues related to the sector, the legalization of mines, the work conditions, etc, but it remains active under hiring terms, added Ms. Montoya. Concerning other sectors, Colombia has been organizing the legal framework and the necessary debates and conditions to optimize the formal jobs, but there are several issues to solve in sectors such as construction of infrastructure, Manufactures, Agriculture & Fishing and the lessons we are learning with Free Trade Agreements, which require smart negotiations and initiatives. Markets are looking for certainty in order to grow and create jobs, and we are sure that the best way to achieve such a certainty is aligning government, corporative and talent plans, to really have a clear objective and a path for a socioeconomic development, Ms Montoya remarks.

3 International results: The latest research reveals uncertainty still weighs on employer confidence across the globe. Net Employment Outlooks are mixed and it appears many hiring managers continue to wait for clearer resolution to Europe s sovereign debt crisis as well as signs that the global economy is returning to firmer footing before labor markets are likely to achieve sustainable traction. Employers in more than three-quarters of the labor markets surveyed report positive second-quarter hiring plans. Hiring plans strengthen quarter-over-quarter in 21 countries and territories, but decline by varying degrees in 15. Additionally, employers in 25 countries and territories report weaker forecasts compared to this time last year. Worldwide, hiring expectations are strongest in Brazil, Taiwan, Turkey and India, and weakest in Italy, Spain, Greece and the Netherlands with Outlooks from Italy and Spain matching the weakest employer forecasts ever reported there. Employers continue to be troubled by the current global economic environment, where the only certainty is uncertainty, meaning companies remain cautious when it comes to adding to their workforces, said Jeffrey A. Joerres, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO. Although the tea leaves are not providing any clear direction at this stage, there are positive signs from Europe which suggest some stabilization. There is unexpected and welcome news from France given the current environment manufacturing employers indicate they will hire between 80,000 and 100,000 people this year and this momentum is projected to continue through This corresponds with our survey, with manufacturing sector employers reporting their strongest hiring intentions since Despite quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year declines in most industry sectors and regions in Germany, the hiring outlook remains positive and the labor market is relatively resilient in the face of those headwinds. However, employers are less willing to ignore developments elsewhere in the eurozone, Even in Greece where the labor market has been persistently weak the hiring forecast is the most optimistic in three years and hiring plans improve considerably from last year at this time in the majority of industry sectors surveyed. The next Manpower Employment Outlook Survey will be released on 11 June 2013 to report hiring expectations for the third quarter of The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of charge to the public through local Manpower representatives in participating countries. To

4 receive an notification when the survey is available each quarter, please complete an online subscription form at: About the Survey The global leader in innovative workforce solutions, ManpowerGroup releases the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey quarterly to measure employers intentions to increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the longest running, most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, polling over 65,000 employers in 42 countries and territories. The survey serves as a bellwether of labor market trends and activities and is regularly used to inform the Bank of England s Inflation Reports, as well as a regular data source for the European Commission, informing its EU Employment Situation and Social Outlook report the Monthly Monitor. ManpowerGroup s independent survey data is also sourced by financial analysts and economists around the world to help determine where labor markets are headed. # # # Note to Editors: Commentary is based on seasonally adjusted data where available. Full survey results for each of the 42 countries and territories included in this quarter s survey, plus regional and global comparisons, can be found in the ManpowerGroup Press Room at In addition, all tables and graphs from the full report are available to be downloaded for use in publication or broadcast from the ManpowerGroup Web site at: ManpowerGroup has also released its Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Explorer tool, a new interactive way to examine and compare its data. The tool can be viewed at 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 $21 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 3,500 offices in 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 About Manpower South America Manpower South America began its activities in Chile, in Now it has more than 150 offices in all of the 10 countries of the region, serving 4000 clients and giving work opportunities to 130,000 people under permanent or temporary contracts.

5 About Manpower Colombia Manpower started its operation in Colombia in Currently, the company has 34 offices in 19 cities, with more than 600 clients and 15,000 temporary employees. Further information about Manpower Colombia can be found at the website: