MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Tig Gilliam, CEO of Adecco Group North America, on January's Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report which was released today at 8:30 AM ET.

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"While today's news marks the first jobs report of 2009, in January we saw the continuation of a trend which started one year ago, with continued job losses and a rise in unemployment reflective of the continued deterioration of the broader economy in the US and globally.



"Today's results of 598,000 job losses and unemployment at 7.6% are in line with expectations and recent news coming out of the labor market. While we see further declines in industries such as manufacturing, construction, retail and financial services, there are sectors that show strength and grow payrolls month over month. For example, this month alone healthcare, education and government sectors added 60,000 jobs. We're seeing further evidence of these pockets of strength at Adecco Group. We are currently recruiting to fill over 1,500 job openings for mortgage sales and processing skills due to the increased demand for these professionals as a result of historically low interest rates and great customer demand for refinanced mortgages. Adecco Engineering & Technical is recruiting for another 1,400 professionals and we are seeking qualified candidates to fill over 1,000 open finance and accounting positions in Ajilon Professional Staffing -- evidence that job opportunities do exist even in this marketplace.



"It's also important to keep in mind that the job market is local -- the most recent unemployment rates coming out of major metropolitan areas like Milwaukee, Baltimore, Boston and DC, for example, reflect much brighter employment pictures than other regions of the country. Even more critical than where you live or what you do, educational accomplishments have the greatest impact on an individual's ability to find a job. The unemployment rate for college educated workers is 3.8%, far lower than the national average and the 12% for non-high school graduates.



"January's job losses confirm that companies continue to 'downsize' and 'resize' their employee capacity. Along with recent economic news, this sends a clear message that consumer confidence remains weak, and the 92.4% of employed workers are not confident about spending their money. As Congress debates the proposed bailout package, it will be essential that the programs directly increase consumer confidence and spending, which in turn will bring US businesses back to investing in assets and human capital. Further, we see a strong connection between the proposed infrastructure, energy, technology and telecommunications projects and the creation of a wide range of job opportunities across skill levels. What is often overlooked is the fact that these programs will go beyond creating manufacturing and construction work and will also require engineers, IT, healthcare and finance professionals -- a true win-win for a large cross-section of American workers."