Ft. Lauderdale, Fla - 6 January, 2005 -

The latest Spherion Employment Report indicates renewed levels of confidence among the nation’s workers. The December Spherion Employee Confidence Index rose 2.3 points to 59.2, its highest level since January 2005 and second consecutive monthly increase. The recent survey of 2,848 employed adults in the U.S., shows that 62 percent of workers believe the economy is improving or remaining stable and 67 percent are confident in the future of their employer. In addition, the monthly survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN), showed that 78 percent of workers believe their jobs are secure and 37 percent are likely to look for a new job in the next year. The subscale Macroeconomic Confidence Index, which measures workers’ confidence in the overall economy and job market, increased for the third consecutive month, gaining 8.8 points since September. The Index is 2.5 points higher than the average level over the past year. The Personal Confidence Index, a subscale index measuring workers’ confidence in their personal employment situation, increased 1.7 points to 75.2 in December. For detailed information on the calculation of the Employee Confidence Index and its subscale measurements, please see the “About the Spherion Employment Report” section below. “Last year certainly ended on a strong note for workers and I believe they have good reason to be confident. The economy and job market have shown a great deal of resiliency following the devastating hurricane season and we expect continued macroeconomic growth to continue throughout 2006,” said Roy Krause, Spherion president and chief executive officer. “This growth, coupled with a tightening labor market and reasonably strong demand for job change makes it quite apparent that employers will no longer have the upper hand in the job market and skilled workers will be able to start dictating their own employment terms. With the disconnects that we have uncovered between employer and employee expectations, this change could prove to be quite costly for those companies that haven’t yet made recruiting and retention top priorities.” Results from the December Spherion Employment Report: Employee Confidence Index: More U.S. Workers Express Confidence The December Employee Confidence Index increased to 59.2, a rise of 2.3 points from November. The Index rose for the second consecutive month as more U.S. workers believe that both the macroeconomic environment and their personal employment situation are improving. The Index is 2.3 points higher than in December 2004 and is currently 2.1 points above the average level over the past year. Macroeconomic Confidence Index Increases Again: Workers’ confidence in the macroeconomic environment rose for the third straight month, as more workers believe that the economy is strengthening and job availability is increasing. The Index rose 2.9 points to 43.2 in December and has risen 8.8 points since September. The Index level is 2.1 points higher than in December 2004 and 2.5 points above the average level over the past year. Specific findings from the Macroeconomic Confidence Index include: 26 percent of U.S. adult workers believe that more jobs are available, compared to 23 percent in November. 38 percent of U.S. adult workers believe the economy is weakening, a decrease of five percentage points from November. Personal Confidence Index Rises: The Personal Confidence Index rose 1.7 points in December, its second consecutive monthly increase. Solid majorities of workers are confident in the future of their employer (67 percent) and in their ability to find a new job (60 percent). The Index is 2.5 points higher than in December 2004 and is 1.7 points above the average level over the past year. Specific findings from Personal Confidence Index include: 67 percent of adult workers in the U.S. feel confident in the future of their employer, compared to 64 percent in November. 60 percent of adult workers in the U.S. have confidence in their own ability to find a new job, an increase of two percentage points from November. Job Security Index: Nearly 80 Percent of Workers Feel Their Jobs Are Secure 78 percent of U.S. adult workers feel it is unlikely that their jobs will be eliminated in the next 12 months, compared to 79 percent in November. The Index is two points higher than in December 2004 and at the average level over the past year. Job Transition Index: Nearly Two in Five Workers Planning Job Search 37 percent of working adults in the U.S. said they are likely to look for a new job in the next year, compared to 38 percent in the prior month. The Index is at the same level as December 2004 and at the average level over the past year. About the Spherion Employment Report As part of the Spherion Emerging Workforce Series of employment surveys, the monthly Spherion Employment Report provides a snapshot of the latest workforce trends across the country and is issued in conjunction with state and national labor market releases. 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, with each score ranking on a scale from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (complete confidence). A reading above 50 indicates a positive confidence level. Methodology The December 2005 Spherion Employment Report is based on data from the Harris Interactive QuickQuerySM online omnibus conducted monthly by Harris Interactive on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 2,848 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, was interviewed in a series of two polls conducted between December 5-7 and December 12-14, 2005 (for November 2005 n=2,763). 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 adjusted for respondents’ propensity to be online. In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. population of employed adults had been polled with complete accuracy. This online sample is not a probability sample. About Spherion Spherion Corporation is a leader in the staffing industry in North America, providing value-added staffing, recruiting and workforce solutions. Spherion has helped companies improve their bottom line by efficiently planning, acquiring and optimizing talent since 1946. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.

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