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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 U.S. Workers' Optimism Surfaces After Tough Year NEW YORK, (PRNewswire), December 18, 2005 - Looking ahead to the new year, workers who expect their job prospects and employment situations to improve outnumber those who are uncertain or even pessimistic. Nearly half (47 percent) think their prospects will be better in 2006 than in 2005, according to a national Hudson survey. What's more, 21 percent say they expect to earn significantly more next year, with another 42% saying they hope to earn at least a little more. The survey also suggests that workers may be more content to stay put in 2006. Twenty-nine percent report that they have no plans to look for a new job, up from one year ago when only 22 percent made that claim. Even so, a large portion will be on the market, with 37 percent saying it is very or somewhat likely that they will actively seek new job opportunities in the new year, compared to 42 percent this time last year. "While 2005 was a challenging year on many fronts, U.S. workers continued to show their resilience and optimism heading into the new year," said Steve Wolfe, executive vice president, Hudson, North America. "We anticipate that 2006 will be a stronger year for worker confidence and for workers' leverage as they seek to improve their skills and investigate new opportunities." This month's optimistic view among workers tracks with the latest uptick in the Hudson Employment Index(SM) - a key measure of workers' confidence in the employment market - and with recent reports of strengthening consumer confidence. Over the course of 2005, though, the monthly Index averaged significantly lower than it did in 2004 - 101.3 through November, compared to last year's average of 106.2. Four out of the five measures were down on balance: personal finance ratings, personal finance outlooks, hiring expectations and layoff concerns. Only job satisfaction was up overall. Hudson's research showed some important trends across specific metropolitan markets and occupational sectors, including: Metropolitan MarketsMetropolitan Markets Tampa workers recorded the highest 2005 average Hudson Employment Index at 115.6, followed by Washington, D.C. (110.5). The city with the lowest average Index was New York (88.1). Workers in Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul had the greatest job satisfaction among the 11 cities polled, with an average of 75 percent of the workforce in both cities happy at work in 2005. Sixty-nine percent of Chicago workers were satisfied with their jobs, ranking them last overall in this category. Atlanta-area workers' confidence in the job market was the most closely aligned with the national average; the city's 2005 average Index was 102.0, compared to the national average of 101.3. While the average Index was down among workers in Dallas in 2005 compared to 2004, the city's monthly reading surpassed the national number every month this year. On average, 25 percent of San Francisco-area workers expected their companies to hire this year - the fewest among all metro markets surveyed. The Philadelphia Index was among the most volatile in 2005, peaking in February at 106.0, but dropping to 80.0 in September. The Los Angeles Index was one of the most stable, remaining between 99.1 and 109.2 throughout 2005. Occupational SectorsMetropolitan Markets The Hudson Employment Index for manufacturing workers was by far the lowest among the occupational sectors in 2005. Its annual average was 87.1, although it dropped to a low of 76.3 in September. Accounting and finance workers were the most optimistic, with an average Index of 107.9, followed by healthcare workers at 105.3. With more than twenty points between the highest and lowest readings, IT and manufacturing workers' readings were more volatile than those in healthcare and accounting and finance. Workers in the healthcare sector were the least likely to expect layoffs, with an average of just 15 percent expressing concern monthly in 2005. The Hudson year-end national survey is based on responses from 1,874 workers, comprising a cross-section of the U.S. workforce. 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