Confidence Slumps Yet Job Outlook Remains Stable

Over Three Quarters (76 percent) of Small Businesses Concerned About Economic Prospects Facing UK in Next Six Months

LONDON, June 29, 2010 - Signs of unease among the UK's finance chiefs became clear
today, with less than a quarter (22 percent) of finance leaders feeling more
or slightly more confident about the economic prospects facing their company
in the next six months, according to the latest 'Robert Half CFO Confidence
Index'. This represents a 25-point decline in confidence levels since
January.

Chief financial officers (CFOs) and finance directors also
were more cynical when asked their opinion on the economic prospects facing
the UK as a whole in the next six months, with only 14 percent feeling more
or slightly more confident, down from 37 percent who were feeling confident
in January.

Despite this, the job market for finance professionals remains
steady, with 80 percent of UK CFOs stating that the number of permanent
accounting and finance staff employed by their company will either increase
(12 percent) or will stay the same (68 percent) in the second half of 2010.
This is down 4 points from the January 2010 survey. CFOs based in London were
the most optimistic, with 89 percent planning to either hire or maintain
current employee counts.

Phil Sheridan, Managing Director of Robert Half UK, said:

"Whilst the UK job market continues to recover, some employers
clearly remain cautious, as can be seen by the fall in confidence levels of
the UK's finance leaders. Although rising workloads are cited as a primary
reason for taking on additional staff, nearly half of those looking to hire
(48 percent) also stated that regulatory requirements were a key driver. This
was highlighted further with CFOs saying that they are finding it most
challenging to recruit skilled finance professionals in the areas of audit
(24 percent) and compliance (22 percent), evidence that those with this type
of experience have an opportunity to put their best foot forward and take
advantage of the increase in regulatory needs across the UK's business
sector."

The Robert Half CFO Confidence Index is based on a phone
survey conducted by independent research firm Illuminus of 180 chief finance
officers from across the UK, comprising small, medium and large firms, both
private and publicly listed and across all major industry sectors. The
research was conducted in June 2010.

About Robert Half

Robert Half pioneered specialised staffing services and today
is the world's leader in the field. Founded in 1948, the company is traded on
the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: RHI) and operates four separate
divisions in the UK, each serving distinct markets. They include: Robert Half
Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary,
full-time and project professionals, respectively, in the fields of
accounting and finance; OfficeTeam, for highly skilled temporary
administrative support and Robert Half Financial Services Group, for
high-calibre finance and banking professionals.

There are more than 360 Robert Half locations in North
America, South America Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. For more
information about Robert Half please visit: www.roberthalf.co.uk

    For further information, please contact:

    Katherine Patch
    Burson-Marsteller
    katherine.patch@bm.com
    +44(0)20-7300-6106

Katherine Patch, Burson-Marsteller, katherine.patch at bm.com, +44(0)20-7300-6106