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Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com From Summer Travel to Hobbies, Workers Are Cutting Back ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire), July 11, 2006 - Persistently high fuel costs are cutting into U.S. workers' leisure time activities and may also contribute to job turnover, based on a recent survey by Manpower Inc. According to 900 respondents in an online survey conducted in May and June, 76 percent confirmed that rising gasoline prices are impacting their work/life balance. Reduced spending on entertainment and hobbies was reported by nearly 65 percent of the respondents. Other responses to high fuel costs include: -- Dining out less, 64 percent -- Reducing summer travel, 55 percent -- Entertaining at home, 42 percent -- Canceling summer travel plans, 29 percent -- Fewer extracurricular activities for children, 29 percent "Workers are really feeling the squeeze of gasoline prices, including their work/life balance," said Melanie Holmes, vice president, corporate affairs - North America for Manpower Inc. "It's encouraging, however, to see that 6 percent of employers are taking steps to help their employees manage higher fuel costs. It's this kind of thinking that helps set employers apart from the rest of the pack." Holmes noted that, in some cases, high commuting costs are contributing to employee turnover. In the survey, 31 percent of respondents say they are considering finding a job that is closer to home. That finding is similar to a Manpower online survey conducted last fall in which 35 percent of respondents were searching for jobs requiring shorter commutes. "High fuel costs are a concern, but they don't have to threaten employee retention. While employers can't be expected to fill everybody's gas tank, there are a number of relatively inexpensive things they can do to help workers cope with the cost of commuting," said Holmes. Among employers that are providing assistance, the top methods reported by survey respondents include: -- Offering telecommuting, 24 percent -- Subsidizing mass transit as an employee benefit, 17 percent -- Organizing carpools or a shared ride program, 21 percent -- Providing discounted or preferred parking to carpool vehicles and motorcycles, 10 percent "In this competitive labor market, being an employer-of-choice means thinking smart and looking for opportunity," Holmes said. 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