TRADING UPDATE

Hays PLC
28 June 2005



28 June 2005



                            HAYS PLC TRADING UPDATE

Hays plc, the Specialist Recruitment Company, will announce its preliminary
results for the year ending 30 June on 6 September 2005 and today issues the
following trading update.

Since the announcement of the interim results in March, the business has
continued to grow across each of the three regions of the United Kingdom &
Ireland, Continental Europe and Australia & New Zealand. Growth has been broadly
based across each of the principal activities, and both temporary and permanent
placement fees are ahead of last year. Aggregate net fees in the second half of
the financial year to date are approximately 15% ahead of the same period last
year. Group pre-tax profit before goodwill amortisation and exceptional items
for the year to 30 June 2005 remains in line with the Board's expectations.

In September 2004 Hays plc announced its intention to buy back at least £200
million of its own shares on the open market. To date the company has bought
back 100.8 million of its shares at a total cost of £127.2 million.

Hays plc intends to enter into an irrevocable non-discretionary arrangement to
enable the repurchase of its own shares during its close period. Any share
purchases will be effected within certain pre-set parameters, and in accordance
with both the Company's general authority to repurchase shares and the Listing
Rules.


                                    - Ends -



Enquiries:

  John Martin       Finance Director, Hays plc           + 44 (0) 20 7628 9999
  Mike Smith        Brunswick                            + 44 (0) 20 7404 5959


Conference call:

John Martin and Richard Jackson of Hays plc will conduct a conference call for
investors and analysts at 9.00am United Kingdom time on Tuesday 28 June 2005.
The dial-in details are as follows:


  Dial-in number:                                        + 44 (0) 1452 561 263

The call will be recorded and available for playback for 7 days as follows:

  Replay dial-in number:                                 + 44 (0) 1452 550 000
  Access code:                                           6917695 #




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange