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Florida Employment Report: Employee Confidence Index Drops for Second Consecutive Month

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 27, 2009 – The Florida Employee Confidence Index decreased 2.5 points to 35.5 in February, according to the latest Spherion^® Employment Report. The monthly survey of Florida workers, conducted by Harris Interactive^® on behalf of Spherion Corporation, reveals that more workers have concerns about the economy and their personal employment situation.

Results from the Florida Employment Report:

Seventy-six percent of Florida workers believe the economy is getting weaker, rising 13 percentage points from January.
Eighty-one percent of Florida workers believe fewer jobs are available, showing no change from the previous month.
The percentage of workers that are confident in the future of their employer decreased by 10 percentage points to 25 percent in February.

“Our latest report shows another month of decline in overall employee confidence,” said Paula Franco, branch manager for Spherion Staffing Services in Florida. “Until workers begin to see some positive changes in the housing market, economy and local job situation, I don’t foresee a rebound in those confidence levels. The current economic situation has made it very difficult for job seekers and employers alike. The best piece of advice that I can give someone looking for work right now is that finding a job is not defined by what industry or position you have worked at in the past. Now is the time to think outside the box and look to industries that are creating jobs and are poised for growth over the next few years such as education, healthcare, government and technology. Tailor your search to those sectors and concentrate on what immediate value you can bring to companies.”

February 2009 Employment Report Results		Florida Workers			U.S. Workers
		Jan	Feb	% Point Change	Jan	Feb	% Point Change
Economy	Getting Stronger	4%	5%	+1	7%	6%	-1
	Staying Same	33%	19%	-14	26%	24%	-2
	Getting Weaker	63%	76%	+13	67%	70%	+3
Job Availability	More Jobs	2%	3%	+1	6%	5%	-1
	Same Amount	17%	16%	-1	18%	17%	-1
	Fewer Jobs	81%	81%	0	76%	79%	+3
Ability to Find New Job	Confident	35%	25%	-10	42%	38%	-4
	Neutral	34%	47%	+13	33%	34%	+1
	Not Confident	31%	27%	-4	25%	27%	+2
Future of Current Employer	Confident	58%	53%	-5	67%	63%	-4
	Neutral	21%	29%	+8	22%	24%	+2
	Not Confident	20%	18%	-2	11%	14%	+3
Likelihood to Lose Job	Likely	20%	21%	+1	16%	17%	+1
	Neutral	16%	17%	+1	12%	12%	0
	Not Likely	64%	62%	-2	72%	71%	-1
Likelihood to Look for New Job	Likely	41%	38%	-3	34%	33%	-1
	Neutral	8%	7%	-1	12%	12%	0
	Not Likely	50%	55%	+5	54%	56%	+2

About the Spherion Employment Report

Methodology

About Harris Interactive

About Spherion
Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions and breakout specialties to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for more than 60 years, Spherion has sourced, screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs.

With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to approximately 10,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing more than 230,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America’s largest employers. Spherion operates under the following brands: Spherion Staffing Services Group for administrative, clerical and light industrial workers; Technisource for technology professionals and solutions; The Mergis Group for accounting and finance and other professional positions; Todays Office Professionals for specialty administrative personnel; and Spherion Recruitment Process Outsourcing. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com.