The Monster Meter Says: Job Seekers Evaluate Career Options in Light of Economic Downturn

Monster.com Poll Shows 83% Believe Skill Enhancement and Earning Degrees Will Help Their Career

MAYNARD, Mass., Dec 10, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Looking for ways to advance your career? According to the latest Monster Meter, 83 percent of Monster.com users think enhancing a skill or achieving a higher degree will give them an edge and help their career development in the current economy. The Monster Meter, a product of Monster.com(R), the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of TMP Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: TMPW), is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy, and the workplace.

The Monster Meter asked, "Would enhancing a skill or achieving a higher degree help your career in this economy?"

A total of 6,194 votes were cast, revealing:

  • 83% (5,150 votes) said: "Yes, it would give me an edge and help my development."
  • 17% (1,044 votes) said: "No, I'm comfortable with my current career path."
With the unemployment rate rising to 5.7 percent for November 2001, its highest level since August 1995, more people are evaluating and assessing their career options. According to a Marketing Facts Study, 70 percent of Americans have considered taking a course of study to help further their careers. Also, according to a Department of Labor study conducted by Merrill Lynch and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2000), 65 percent of jobs today require additional skills. By 2005, that figure is expected to increase to 85 percent. However, 42 percent of consumers indicate at least some difficulty in locating education/training resources (International Communications Research, Dec. 2000). To help job seekers gain access to learning as it relates to career advancement, Monster.com recently launched MonsterLearning (www.monsterlearning.com), a unique online resource for managing learning as it relates to advancing careers.

In September, MonsterLearning launched with its first product, MonsterLearning Search (ML Search). ML Search is the first of several products and services designed to help track, plan, manage and assess learning as it relates to career and professional growth. Leveraging Monster.com's powerful search engine technology, ML Search offers individual and corporate learning seekers looking to gain new skills or knowledge the opportunity to explore and research all their options for career-related learning. The one-stop search engine provides free access to a universe of learning opportunities, including online and classroom courses, test preparation, degree programs, and certifications - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"The current economy can be seen as a time of opportunity by those who want to put their career management into their own hands," said Linda Natansohn, senior vice president, MonsterLearning. "Learning is one of the most powerful things that people can do to manage and build their career during a downturn economy, or even a good economy, whether it is to gain new skills and open up employment opportunities or ensure success in a current job. Engaging in learning opportunities can not only empower individuals and their careers, but it is also a way for job seekers to control their own career destiny."

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.com users from November 26thth to December 3rd, 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 30.2 million unique visits during the month of October 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, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland. Monster.com is the official online career management services sponsor of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and 2002 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams. 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 10,500 employees in 33 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. In June 2001, TMP Worldwide was added to the S&P 500 Index. More information about TMP Worldwide is available at www.tmp.com.

Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company's strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of our control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in our Form 10-K and our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.

CONTACT:
Kevin Mullins
Monster.com
978-461-8751
kevin.mullins@monster.com