Transaction in Own Shares

Hays PLC
22 December 2004



Hays plc

Purchase of own shares



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

Ordinary shares:



Date of purchase: 22 December 2004

Number of ordinary shares purchased: 2,950,000

Highest price paid per share: 122p

Lowest price paid per share: 121.25p

Volume weighted average price paid per share: 121.9074p



Hays intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury.

Following the purchases of these shares, Hays holds 27,065,271 of its ordinary
shares in treasury and has 1,708,825,851 ordinary shares in issue (excluding
treasury shares).




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