Adecco USA Sees Increases in Temporary and Full-Time Employment in Illinois.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2003

Patrick Dolan, Adecco Vice President Based in Chicago, Available for Comment on the Regional Job Market and the October Unemployment Report

Adecco (NYSE:ADO), the nation's largest staffing company, today said that it continued to see week-over-week increases in new orders for both temporary and full-time workers in Illinois in October, suggesting that hiring in the overall workforce may increase in the near to medium term.

Ahead of the US unemployment report for October due out Friday, Nov 7, 2003, Patrick Dolan, an Adecco vice president in the Chicago market, said, "We have seen increases in orders for temporary workers across many industries. We've had encouraging activity in the paralegal and human resource assistant fields. In addition, people who can fill distribution jobs such as pick and pack and forklift operators are in demand, especially those who are bilingual. We are also filling higher-level production positions."

Dolan noted, "Companies are now asking us to fill more permanent and what are called 'temp-to-perm' positions, in which someone is brought into a position as a temporary employee with the potential to become a permanent employee in the future. We're cautiously optimistic about the state's employment picture, since an uptick in temp-to-perm orders indicates that businesses are gaining confidence in the economy and are laying the groundwork for building their full-time workforce."

Dolan is available for comment on the Illinois job market as it relates to the US October unemployment data.

About Adecco

Adecco S.A. is a Forbes 500 company and the global leader in HR solutions. The Adecco Group network connects 650,000 associates with business clients each day through its network of 28,000 employees and 5,800 offices in 67 countries around the world. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, the Adecco Group delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.

The Adecco Group comprises four Divisions: Adecco Staffing, Ajilon Professional, LHH Career Services and jobpilot e-HR Services. In Adecco Staffing, the Adecco staffing network focuses on flexible staffing solutions for global industries in transition, including automotive, banking, electronics, logistics and telecommunications; Ajilon Professional offers an unrivaled range of specialized recruiting and consulting businesses; LHH Career Services encompasses our portfolio of outplacement and coaching; jobpilot e-HR focuses on online recruiting activities for the Adecco Group.

Adecco USA serves more than 70,000 clients a year through a nationwide network of almost 1,300 points of sales and service. With headquarters in Melville, NY, Adecco USA employs about 3,300 full-time employees and places more than 120,000 temporary associates each week. Adecco USA also provides a full spectrum of human resource solutions, including payroll management; HR information systems; training; administration of group insurance, retirement plans and other benefits; risk management; and more.

Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland and is listed on the Swiss Exchange (ADEN / trading on Virt-x: 1213860), NYSE (ADO), and Euronext Premier Marche (12819).