The Monster Meter Says: Americans Overburdened With Debt

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2001--According to the latest Monster Meter, the American workforce is saddled with loans, credit cards, and mortgages, which severely hinder their ability to save. The poll results show that 88 percent of the respondents have some form of debt, while only 11 percent are debt free. The Monster Meter is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy, and the workplace. Monster.com(R) is the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of TMP Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: TMPW).

The Monster Meter asked "How does your personal debt impact your work earnings." A total of 23,347 votes were cast - revealing:

• 36% (8465 votes) said "Heavy debt: My monthly payments make it hard to save."

• 26% (6149 votes) said "Average debt: It doesn't hinder my savings plans."

• 26% (6099 votes) said "Mountains of debt: I can barely meet my bills, never mind saving."

• 11% (2634 votes) said "No debt: I can save as much of my paycheck as I want."

"The Monster.com poll on indebtedness provides a sad commentary on how people are limiting their own degrees of freedom about their own career options. Without some financial flexibility, it's often hard to make the moves that can take you where you want to go," said Barbara Reinhold, Monster.com's career coach. Reinhold continues, "This is all the more regrettable because so many people are caught in a vicious cycle of 'anesthetic spending,' wherein they spend to forget how much they don't like their work, and then end up having to stay imprisoned there to meet the mountain of bills they've generated."

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.com users from April 2, 2001 to April 8, 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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