MonsterTRAK Online Poll Says: 91 Percent of College Students Concerned About Finding a Job

Given Current Job Market, 55 Percent of College Students Plan to Attend Graduate School

MAYNARD, Mass., Dec 13, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- With the nation's unemployment rate rising to 5.7 percent amidst the economic downturn, a staggering majority of college students are anxious about obtaining a job. As America's college seniors finish up their first semester, many are evaluating their prospects for employment following graduation. According to the most recent MonsterTRAK poll, 91 percent of college students are concerned about finding a job after graduation, with 70 percent of those saying that they are very concerned. Additionally, only 3 percent of college students have a job lined up. MonsterTRAK is the definitive career resource for college students and alumni and a product of Monster.com(R), the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of TMP Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: TMPW).

MonsterTRAK asked, "How concerned are you about getting a job after graduation?"

A total of 1,707 votes were cast, revealing:

  • 70% (1,189 votes) said: "Very. The job market is going to be tough."

  • 21% (360 votes) said: "Somewhat. The market is tight, but there will be jobs."

  • 6% (105 votes) said: "Not at all. I am confident that I will get a job."

  • 3% (53 votes) said: "I already have one lined up."

The above poll is indicative of the current job market and is in contrast to the past few years, which showed college students confident about getting jobs after graduation. Additionally, a majority of college students also said they plan to attend graduate school. According to a previous MonsterTRAK poll, 55 percent of the respondents said they plan to enroll in graduate school to avoid the rough job market.

MonsterTRAK asked, "Do you plan to enroll in graduate school to avoid the rough job market?" A total of 2,705 votes were cast, revealing:

  • 55% (1,486 votes) said: "Yes."
  • 45% (1,219 votes) said: "No. "

"Long term, demographics are still very much in college students' favor, as the number of retiring baby boomers continues to outpace the supply of graduating seniors," said MonsterTRAK's Ken Ramberg, senior vice president of college products, Monster.com. "During this economic downturn however, students are finding that they need to be more proactive in their job search than in years prior. In partnership with more than 1,300 college and university career centers, MonsterTRAK offers those job seekers an array of internship and entry-level opportunities, easy resume posting, alumni networking opportunities, and expert advice on the job search process to help guide them as they embark on their future careers."

(The results of the "How concerned are you about getting a job after graduation?" MonsterTRAK poll question is based on votes cast by MonsterTRAK users from December 3rd to December 11th, 2001. The results of the "Do you plan to enroll in graduate school to avoid the rough job market?" MonsterTRAK poll question is based on votes cast by MonsterTRAK users from November 12th to November 19th, 2001. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. Anyone interested in voting in MonsterTRAK's current online poll may do so by logging onto MonsterTRAK at www.monstertrak.com. Users may review the results of past polls by going to http://content.monstertrak.monster.com/polls. MonsterTRAK is the definitive career resource for college students and alumni and an exclusive product of Monster.com).

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
or
Kelly Sullivan
The Weber Group
617-520-7239
ksullivan@webergroup.com