More Than Half of U.S. Adult Workers Think America is Unprepared to Compete in Global Economy

  
    
  
  
    
      56% of U.S. adult workers believe America is unprepared to compete in a 
      global economy according to a new Workplace Insights survey commissioned 
      by Adecco (NYSE:ADO), the world leader in workforce solutions. Further, 
      three-quarters of employed adults (76%) agree that today's U.S. 
      employers do not invest enough in training and development to keep the 
      U.S. workforce competitive with those in other countries.
    
    
      With the presidential campaign trail to campuses across the country 
      underway and discussions around increased competition for talent from 
      emerging markets such as China and India heightening, education and 
      training is top of mind for many adults. Although much has been said 
      about the need to strengthen education and training from academics, 
      politicians and economists, we have not yet heard from the U.S. 
      workforce on this issue until now.
    
    
      Other findings from the survey include:
    
    
      
        Nearly two-thirds of employed adults (64%) agree that the U.S. 
        educational system is not providing workers with the necessary skills 
        to be prepared for the jobs of the future
      
      
        9 in 10 employed adults (92%) agree that strengthening the education 
        system should be a top priority for the U.S. in the next decade
      
      
        Older adults (ages 55+) are significantly more likely than younger 
        adults (ages 18-34) to agree that America is not prepared to compete 
        in a global economy (59% vs. 48% respectively)
      
    
    
      “What this survey reveals is that a majority 
      of workers have a negative perception of how we’re 
      being educated and trained in America,” says 
      Bernadette Kenny, Chief Career Officer for Adecco USA. “However, 
      according to the Bersin & Associates’ 2007 
      Corporate Learning Fact Book, total training spending grew from $51.1B 
      in 2005 to $55.8B in 2006. This tells me that overall corporations are 
      investing in training their people, but are not communicating 
      effectively to them just how much and how important it is to their 
      organization.”
    
    
      What companies can do:
    
    
      
        Issue a training and development report each year to all employees 
        that outlines what training is scheduled to take place, how it will 
        impact the organization, and how the company envisions improving 
        employees’ performance
      
      
        If possible, let your employee base know how much your company is 
        investing in training and development and communicate how critical 
        your company views its programs to the success and the growth of the 
        company
      
      
        Celebrate successful training programs by showcasing examples of how 
        people have implemented what they’ve learned 
        into their work and also be candid about programs that weren’t 
        as effective and involve employees in making them better
      
    
    
      “At Adecco, we believe that your career is 
      your greatest investment and that your education and training should not 
      only be supported by your employer, but also by yourself for yourself,” 
      continued Kenny. “We encourage people to 
      spend just as much time and energy on their career health as they do 
      their financial and physical health. One’s 
      own career management is too often overlooked.”
    
    
      Invest in your own career and training too by:
    
    
      
        Dedicating some time to focus on your 
        own career development. Assess how much time you spend each 
        month on your career development. Is it 3 hours? 5 hours? None? Try to 
        come up with a realistic number of hours you will commit to investing 
        in your own career development or training by reading books related to 
        your job, participating in professional organizations, taking a 
        course, etc.
      
      
        Creating/updating your career map. 
        A career map can help you determine where you would like to take your 
        career, whether it’s your next promotion or 
        to help achieve your dream job. You should spend time at least once a 
        year to assess where you are in your career, evaluate where you would 
        like to go and outline some key steps to enable you to achieve your 
        goals. Then, check in with your career map every few months or so to 
        see how you’re doing.
      
      
        Identifying something to do better 
        every week. Each week, pick something related to your career 
        that you can do better. It can be as simple as getting to the office a 
        half hour earlier or as involved as improving morale on your team. 
        With about 52 weeks in a year, you can really invest in improving your 
        career performance by making this a ritual.
      
    
    
      “Education and training is critically 
      important to the success of our nation, as well as corporations and the 
      workers who make them run,” says Kenny. “If 
      we all invest a little more effort each day, each week, each year, 
      America can continue to be at the forefront of innovation and growth in 
      the global economy.”
    
    
      Survey Methodology:
    
    
      This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of 
      Adecco NA between February 12 and February 14, 2007 among 3,434 U.S. 
      adults 18 years of age or older. Figures for region, age within gender, 
      education, household income and race/ethnicity 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 3,434, one could say with a 
      ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling 
      error of +/- 3 percentage points. The sampling error for the sub-sample 
      of employed adults (n= 2,321) is +/- 3 percentages 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.
    
    
      ADECCO WORLDWIDE:
    
    
      Adecco S.A. is a Global Fortune 500 company and the world leader in 
      workforce solutions. The Adecco Group network connects over 700,000 
      associates with business clients each day through its network of over 
      33,000 employees and 6,600 offices in over 70 countries and territories 
      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.
    
    
      ADECCO NORTH AMERICA:
    
    
      Adecco is the workforce solutions leader in the United States and 
      Canada, with a comprehensive service offering that includes temporary 
      and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outplacement and career 
      services, training and consulting.
    
    
      Adecco operates the following specialty divisions in the U.S. and around 
      the world: Adecco Office; Adecco Industrial; Adecco Engineering & 
      Technical; Adecco Human Capital Solutions; Adecco Finance; Adecco Legal; 
      Adecco Information Technology; Adecco Medical & Science; and Adecco 
      Government Solutions.
    
    
      Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH001213860) and listed 
      on the Swiss Stock Exchange with trading on virt-x (SWX/VIRT-X: ADEN), 
      the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ADO) and Euronext Paris - Premier 
      Marché (EURONEXT: ADE).
    
    
      Additional information is available at the company’s 
      website at www.adeccousa.com.
    
    
      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 subsidiary Novatris in France and through a 
      global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, 
      HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data 
      collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and 
      tracking research consultation. 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.