The Monster Meter Says: Americans Lack Personal Savings; American Workforce Ill-Prepared to Weather a Prolonged Period of Unemployment

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2001--The last decade saw the largest economic expansion in U.S. history; however, most Americans have not used these prosperous times to accumulate personal savings. According to the recent Monster Meter, Monster(R).com's ongoing series of online polls that gauge users' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy, and the workplace, 38 percent of the respondents have no savings, while only 15 percent have enough to last more than six months. Monster.com is the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of TMP Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: TMPW).

The Monster Meter asked "If you were laid off tomorrow, how long would your savings last?" A total of 41,158 votes were cast - revealing:

• 38% (15,807 votes) said "I have no savings"

• 32% (13,355 votes) said "Between one and three months"

• 15% (6,529 votes) said "More than six months"

• 13% (5,467 votes) said "Between three and six months"

"It's time for that 38% to start brown bagging it at lunchtime. Those that have one to three months of savings need to cut back and save more, too. Here's why: To succeed in today's job market, you have to be able to leap from job to job. Doing that without a cushion of savings is like being a high-wire walker without a net," said Dona DeZube, Monster.com's finance expert. DeZube advises, "You can play the career game more confidently when you know you can pay the mortgage and your car loan if you're laid off tomorrow. The trick to saving is to have the money automatically withdrawn from your checking account every month and electronically transferred into an investment account before you can spend it. If your employer doesn't offer a savings plan, set one up yourself, even if it's only $100 a month."

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.com users from March 26, 2001 to April 1, 2001. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. Anyone interested in voting in Monster.com's current online poll may do so by logging onto Monster.com at www.monster.com. Users may review the results of past polls by going to http://midcareer.monster.com/polls/.

About Monster.com

Monster.com, headquartered in Maynard, Mass., is the leading global careers website, recording over 23.6 million unique visits during the month of February 2001 according to independent research conducted by I/PRO. Monster.com connects the most progressive companies with the most qualified career-minded individuals, offering innovative technology and superior services that give them more control over the recruiting process. The Monster.com global network consists of local content and language sites in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg, India, and Italy. More information about Monster.com is available at www.monster.com or by calling 1-800-MONSTER.

About TMP Worldwide

Founded in 1967, TMP Worldwide Inc., with more than 9,500 employees in 32 countries, is the online recruitment leader, the world's largest Recruitment Advertising agency network, and one of the world's largest Executive Search and Executive Selection agencies. TMP Worldwide, headquartered in New York, is also the world's largest Yellow Pages advertising agency and a provider of direct marketing services. The company's clients include more than 90 of the Fortune 100 and more than 480 of the Fortune 500 companies. More information about TMP Worldwide is available at www.tmp.com.

Special Note: The above statements include forward-looking statements based on current management expectations. Factors that could cause future results to differ from these expectations include the following: risks associated with acquisitions, competition and seasonally. Additional factors are described in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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