Transaction in Own Shares

Hays PLC
01 December 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:                                   01 December 2004


Number of ordinary shares purchased:                727,619


Highest price paid per share:                       121.5p


Lowest price paid per share:                        121.25p


Volume weighted average price per share:            121.4463p


Hays intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury.


Following the purchase of these shares, Hays holds 23,867,426 of its ordinary
shares in treasury and has 1,712,023,696 ordinary shares in issue (excluding
treasury shares).





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