Transaction in Own Shares

Hays PLC
29 November 2004

                                    Hays plc

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                             Purchase of own shares

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Hays plc announces that it has purchased the following number of its ordinary
shares of £0.01 each on the London Stock Exchange via UBS Investment Bank.



Ordinary shares:



Date of purchase:                                      29 November 2004



Number of ordinary shares purchased:                   9,809,502



Highest price paid per share:                          122p



Lowest price paid per share:                           121.75p



Volume weighted average price per share:               121.9877p



Hays intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury.



Following the purchase of these shares, Hays holds 21,466,761 of its ordinary
shares in treasury and has 1,714,424,361 ordinary shares in issue (excluding
treasury shares).




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