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Spherion Survey Shows Overall Accounting and Finance Worker Confidence Increased in Third Quarter
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., October 30, 2007 — The Accounting and Finance Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among U.S. accounting and finance workers, increased 3.5 points to 67.5 in the third quarter of 2007, according to a recent survey commissioned by Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) and conducted by Harris Interactive®. The Index increased despite a drop in workers’ macroeconomic optimism.
 

Results from the Accounting & Finance Employment Report:

  • Thirty-nine percent of accounting and finance workers believe the economy is getting weaker, an increase of six percentage points from the second quarter of 2007.
  • Sixty percent of workers are not likely to look for a new job, up four percentage points from the previous quarter.
  • More workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, up two percentage points to 61 percent in the second quarter of 2007.
“Despite dips in macroeconomic optimism, our report shows that confidence among accounting and finance workers has actually increased during the third quarter. The demand for accounting and finance workers with specialized skills remained healthy throughout the third quarter of 2007 and I see no sign of it slowing down,” said Brendan Courtney, senior vice president of Spherion® Professional Services Group. “Despite the recent turmoil in the credits market, many firms have not materially altered their hiring plans. The recent rate cut the Fed made, along with other factors such as international trade, will help U.S. businesses withstand any major economic contraction and help sustain domestic demand. This in turn will help keep the demand for accounting and finance workers strong, particularly in sectors like private equity and structured finance.”

 3Q 2007 Employment Report Results: Accounting & Finance Accounting & Finance Workers U.S.  Workers
   2Q 2007 3Q 2007 % Point Change 2Q 2007 3Q 2007 % Point Change
Economy Getting Stronger  28% 22% -6 21% 19% -2
Staying Same 39% 38% -1 38% 38%  0
Getting Weaker 33% 39% +6 41% 43%  +3
Job Availability More Jobs 34% 31% -3 26% 26% 0
Same Amount 37% 37% 0 37% 37% 0
Fewer Jobs 30% 32% +2 37% 37% 0
Ability to Find New Job Confident 59% 61% +2 58% 59% +1
Neutral 27% 25% -2 27% 27% 0
Not Confident 13% 14% +1 14% 14% 0
Future of Current Employer Confident 69% 70% +1 67% 67% 0
Neutral 20% 18% -2 21% 21% 0
Not Confident 11% 13% +2 12% 12% 0
Likelihood to Lose Job Likely 14% 12% -2 11% 10% -1
Neutral 7% 9% +2 9% 9% 0
Not Likely 79% 80% +1 80% 81% +1
Likelihood to Look for New Job Likely 35% 29% -6 36% 35% -1
Neutral 9% 11% +2 11% 10% -1
Not Likely 56% 60% +4 53% 55% +2

About the Spherion Employment Report

As part of the Spherion® Emerging Workforce® Series of employment surveys, the quarterly Accounting & Finance Employment Report provides a snapshot of the latest workforce trends among accounting and finance professionals across the country. Three key indices are measured: the Spherion Job Security Index, which captures how likely respondents think it is that they will lose their job or that their job will be eliminated in the next 12 months; the Spherion Job Transition Index, which captures how likely respondents are to look for a new job in the next 12 months and the Employee Confidence Index that measures employees’ overall confidence in the economy, their employer and their ability to find other employment. The Employee Confidence Index is calculated from the results of four components that reflect these aspects of employee confidence. For each component item a ‘score’ is calculated by taking the difference of the percentage of positive responses and the percentage of negative responses. These four scores are then averaged to indicate an overall level of employee confidence and is scaled from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (complete confidence). A reading above 50 indicates a positive confidence level.

Methodology

This 2007 Spherion® A&F Employment Report for the third quarter is based on data from a Harris Interactive® online survey conducted on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 8,993 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, of whom 453 work in information technology positions within the United States between July 10-12, July 16-18, August 6-8, August 13-15, September 4-6 and September 10-12, 2007. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

With a pure probability sample of 8,993 adults one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- 1 percentage point. Sampling error for the results of employed adults who work in information technology positions (n=453) would be +/- 5 percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Spherion

Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for more than 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.

With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to more than 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing nearly 300,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America’s largest employers. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. For up-to-date career tips and trends, visit Spherion’s career blog, The Big TimeSM, at www.spherion.com/careerblog.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiaries Novatris in France and MediaTransfer AG in Germany, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.

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Lesly Cardec

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leslycardec@sfngroup.com

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