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MRI Survey Predicts Increase in New Hires in the Second Half of 2005

Low unemployment rates continue in the UK
Stock market fluctuations not an issue for hiring in the UK

Windsor - June 2005—Management Recruiters International (MRI), the world's largest search and recruitment organisation, announced the results of its bi-annual international hiring survey, which found that nearly 35 per cent of the companies surveyed in the UK plan on increasing their mid-to-upper level management and professional staff during the second half of 2005. Another 49.5 per cent plan to maintain their current staff levels, and 15.9 per cent anticipate reductions in staff.

The greatest growth in new hires will be seen in companies with less than 100 employees, and the fewest in companies ranging from 251 to 500 employees:

"We continue to see a steady influx of new hires in the managerial and professional sector of the workforce," said Steve Mills, Senior Vice President Operations for MRI Worldwide. "The U.K. economy is one of the strongest in Europe. Inflation and interest rates remain low, as does unemployment at less than five percent. These factors have protected it from the employment woes of some of its European neighbours."

Other questions posed as part of the MRI International Survey included:

Do Sock Market Fluctuations Influence Hiring?

Survey participants were also asked to what extent stock market fluctuations influence their ability to attract and hire new employees. Only 6 per cent reported a substantial effect, and the majority indicated that fluctuations had little or no effect:

"Although the stability of the stock market is an important component of a healthy economy, our findings support the idea that companies are not relying on its strength or weakness to make critical business decisions, such as hiring and staffing," commented Mills. "As the market continues to fluctuate, companies must rely upon other economic indicators to evaluate the direction of their business and make any necessary staffing decisions to increase market share and drive revenues."

How Would You Assess the Supply of Qualified Candidates in Today's Marketplace?

Survey participants were also asked to assess the supply of qualified candidates available in today's market. "Nearly 50 per cent of those surveyed felt that the is a shortage of candidates with the right skills and qualifications, which supports the ongoing debate on skill shortages in the UK. Conversely, just under 45 per cent believe that there is an adequate of skill.

What Are the Key Factors Contributing to Employee Job Satisfaction?

Survey participants were asked to rank the following factors in order of importance to job satisfaction among employees in your industry. Remuneration came on top, closely followed by work/life balance, while training came bottom of the list.

International Findings

The MRI International Survey also found that plans to increase hiring cross a range of international borders. Following are the findings in other countries surveyed by MRI:

About the MRI International Survey
This is the 56th in an ongoing series of polls conducted by Management Recruiters International. This latest study surveyed 283 companies during May 2005

About MRI
Management Recruiters International, Inc. (www.MRInetwork.com) is the world's largest search and recruitment organisation with nearly 1,000 offices worldwide and system wide billings of over $425 million. MRI is a subsidiary of staffing and outsourcing leader CDI Corp. (NYSE: CDI), a global provider of engineering and information technology outsource solutions and professional staffing (www.cdicorp.com).