Transaction in Own Shares

Hays PLC
02 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:                                    02 December 2004

Number of ordinary shares purchased:                          147,845

Highest price paid per share:                                    122p

Lowest price paid per share:                                     122p

Volume weighted average price per share:                         122p


Hays intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury.



Following the purchase of these shares, Hays holds 24,015,271 of its ordinary
shares in treasury and has 1,711,875,851 ordinary shares in issue (excluding
treasury shares).




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