Sweden's Employers Feeling More Optimistic About Hiring in the Next 12 Months, New CareerBuilder Research Shows

STOCKHOLM, June 2, 2010 - A new study by CareerBuilder.se of more than 100 business leaders in
Sweden shows employers are feeling more confident about hiring plans over the
next year. Forty-six per cent of Swedish employers reported they plan to hire
full-time workers in the next 12 months. Twenty-three percent expect to
employ contract or temporary workers. The study was conducted from 29 April
to 14 May.

"Companies are starting to change their focus from cost cutting to growth
and they're bringing back those areas most closely tied to revenue first,"
said Farhan Yasin, President of CareerBuilder EMEA. "We expect to see gradual
improvements in hiring in the second half of 2010 and into 2011, rather than
a dramatic shift. Employers will remain cautious as they respond to new
market dynamics."

Top Functional Areas for Hiring

Sales is the top area where Swedish employers said they will add jobs
first with 50 per cent planning to recruit new sales employees in the next 12
months. Other key areas include:

    - Marketing - 27 per cent
    - Accounting/Finance - 27 per cent
    - Information Technology - 21 per cent
    - Administrative - 18 per cent
    - Customer Service - 15 per cent
    - Business Development - 12 per cent

Skills Shortage

Despite having an abundant labour pool to choose from, 23 per cent of
Swedish employers reported they currently have open positions for which they
can't find qualified candidates. Twenty-four per cent believe there is a
national skills shortage.

"As the country's financial health improves and the labour market
recovers, you may see an even bigger gap between talent supply and demand in
specialized areas," said Yasin. "Employers are taking measures today to
improve their talent benches and retain top performers through investing more
in training, flexible work arrangements and new recruitment strategies."

Six Mid-Year Employment Trends

    1. Hiring across borders - One-in-four Swedish employers (25 per cent)
       have hired someone from outside their country in the last 12 months.
       The majority (71 per cent) said they had not hired someone from
       outside their country, but would be willing to do so. The functional
       areas for which employers are primarily recruiting outside of their
       country are in sales, information technology and business development.

    2. Compensation - Twelve per cent of employers have instituted a pay
       freeze in the last 12 months to manage through a tough economy. When
       it comes to hiring new employees, 43 per cent of Swedish employers
       expect the pay offers to be the same in the next 12 months compared to
       the previous 12 months. Thirty-one percent expect it will be higher.

    3. Upgrading talent - One-in-ten Swedish employers (11 per cent) are
       taking this time, when there is a larger pool of available talent, to
       strengthen their teams by replacing lower-performing employees with top
       performers.

    4. Offering more flexibility - In an effort to retain and attract
       workers, 52 per cent of Swedish employers said they will be offering
       flexible work arrangements for employees this year. Alternate
       schedules (ex: start and leave early), telecommuting, and compressed
       workweeks (work the same hours, but in less days) and summer hours are
       among measures being employed.

    5. Investing in professional development - The majority of employers (59
       per cent) are investing more in outside training for employees to
       sharpen skill sets and provide learning opportunities that are in
       demand.

    6. Postponed start dates - employers are securing talent early while
       postponing expenses associated with additional headcount. One-in-ten
        (10 per cent) have offered jobs with start dates later in the year.

Survey Methodology

An online survey of 625 business leaders in Sweden, the UK, France,
Germany and Italy was conducted in a range of organizations between 29 April
and 14 May. Business leaders included C-level executives, directors and
senior managers with recruitment responsibilities. The survey was conducted
online by Shape the Future, a market research agency based near London which
specialises in high speed online research.

The total sample size in Sweden was 101, giving a margin of error of 9.8
per cent at 95 per cent confidence. The survey was conducted strictly
according to the code of conduct of the UK's Market Research Society.

About CareerBuilder.se

CareerBuilder.se is one of the most visited online job sites in Sweden.
Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company, The McClatchy
Company (NYSE: MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), CareerBuilder.se
powers the career centres for multiple Swedish sites that reach national,
local, industry and niche audiences. For more information about CareerBuilder
products and services, visit www.careerbuilder.se.

    Media Contact:
    Laura Gillen
    LEWIS Public Relations
    + 44(0)20-7802-2626
    laurag@lewispr.com

Laura Gillen of LEWIS Public Relations, + 44 (0)20-7802-2626, laurag at lewispr.com, for CareerBuilder.se