MPS Group Announces Preliminary Fourth Quarter Results

JACKSONVILLE,  Fla. (January 23, 2003) -- MPS Group, Inc. (NYSE:MPS),  a leading
provider of human capital  services and solutions,  today announced  preliminary
financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2002.

Revenue  for the quarter is expected to be  approximately  $280  million,  which
falls within management's range of guidance of $270 million to $285 million. The
Company  expects to take an after-tax  charge of $0.28 per diluted share for the
quarter ended December 31, 2002, to account for three distinct items.  Inclusive
of the charge,  the Company  will report a GAAP loss of $0.23 per fully  diluted
share for the fourth  quarter.  Excluding the effect of the charge,  the Company
expects  diluted  earnings  per share of $0.05,  which is at the high end of the
guidance range of $0.03 to $0.05 previously provided by management.

The Company  expects to incur a charge of $34.5 million  ($29.1 million or $0.28
per diluted share after  consideration of the related tax benefit) in the fourth
quarter of 2002. The charge is comprised of three unrelated  items,  which arose
during the fourth  quarter.  First,  the Company elected not to participate in a
recapitalization  of a  minority  investment  originally  made  in  1996,  which
resulted in the investment being impaired.  As a result, the Company has written
off the investment in its entirety,  incurring a $16.1 million  non-cash charge.
Second,  the Company  finalized a plan for the  settlement of excess real estate
obligations  for  certain  vacant  office  space.  The  anticipated  cost of the
settlement of these excess real estate  obligations is $9.7 million.  Third, the
Company has recorded a tax  provision of $8.7 million for a proposed  adjustment
with the IRS related to its ongoing tax audit of prior years.

The Company  expects to report cash flow from  operations of over $40 million in
the fourth quarter, which helped the Company reduce its debt balance to zero and
increase its cash position to approximately $65 million as of December 31, 2002.
The Company has also  completed  the annual  impairment  testing of its goodwill
balances under SFAS 142 and does not anticipate any material adjustment to these
balances at this time.

Commenting on the expected results, Timothy D. Payne, Chief Executive Officer of
MPS Group,  said,  "We were pleased with our operating  results for the quarter,
especially considering the state of the economy and hiring environment. With our
debt completely paid off, a strong cash position, and a talented management team
in place, we are looking forward to 2003."

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will release its actual year-end  results before the market opens on
February 5, 2003. The Company will provide an online Web simulcast of its fourth
quarter  conference  call that morning at 10:00 a.m.  Eastern Time.  The link to
this event may be found at the Company's  website:  WWW.MPSGROUP.COM.  If you do
not have Internet access, you may listen to the call by dialing (913) 981-5510.

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MPS Announces Preliminary Fourth Quarter Results
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January 23, 2003


If you are unable to  participate at that time,  online and  telephonic  replays
will be  available  two hours after the call ends and will  continue  until 8:00
p.m. on February 12. To access the telephonic replay, please dial (719) 457-0820
and enter 625843 when prompted for the reservation code. The link for the online
replay may also be found on the Company's website.

About MPS Group

MPS Group  helps its  client  companies  thrive by  delivering  a unique  mix of
consulting,  solutions,  and staffing services in the disciplines of information
technology,  finance and accounting, law, e-business,  human capital automation,
engineering,  executive search,  and work force management.  Today, MPS Group is
one of the world's largest providers of human capital services and solutions.  A
Fortune 1000 company  with  headquarters  in  Jacksonville,  Florida,  MPS Group
serves  leading  businesses  throughout the United  States,  Canada,  the United
Kingdom,  and continental  Europe. For more information about MPS Group,  please
visit  WWW.MPSGROUP.COM.  Except  for  materials  described  above,  none of the
information on our website should be considered included in this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

The   statements   contained  in  this  press   release   should  be  considered
forward-looking   statements  that  are  subject  to  risks,   uncertainties  or
assumptions described above and may be affected by other factors,  including but
not limited to: fluctuations in the economy and financial markets in general and
in the  Company's  industry  segments in  particular;  industry  trends  towards
consolidating vendor lists; the demand for the Company's services, including the
impact of changes in utilization  rates;  consolidation of major customers;  the
effect of  competition,  including  the  Company's  ability  to expand  into new
markets and to maintain  profit  margins in the face of pricing  pressures;  the
Company's  ability  to retain  significant  existing  customers  or  obtain  new
customers;  the Company's ability to recruit,  place and retain  consultants and
professional   employees;   the  Company's  ability  to  identify  and  complete
acquisition  targets and to successfully  integrate acquired operations into the
Company;  possible changes in governmental  regulations  affecting the Company's
operations,  including possible changes to regulations  relating to benefits for
consultants and temporary personnel;  unexpected  fluctuations in interest rates
or foreign  currency  exchange rates;  loss of key employees;  and other factors
discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange  Commission.
In some cases, you can identify  forward-looking  statements by terminology such
as  "will,"  "may,"  "should,"   "could,"   "expects,"   "plans,"   "indicates,"
"projects,"   "anticipates,"  "believes,"  "estimates,"  "appears,"  "predicts,"
"potential,"  "continues,"  "would," or "become," or the negative of these terms
or other  comparable  terminology.  Readers are urged to review and consider the
factors  listed under  "Forward-Looking  Statements"  on page 2 of the Company's
Annual  Report  on Form  10-K  for  2001  and in  subsequent  filings  with  the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

Should one or more of these risks,  uncertainties or other factors  materialize,
or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or
achievements  of the  Company  may  vary  materially  from any  future  results,
performance  or  achievements   expressed  or  implied  by  the  forward-looking
statements.  Forward-looking  statements are based on beliefs and assumptions of
the  Company's  management  and  on  information  then  currently  available  to
management.  Undue  reliance  should  not  be  placed  on  such  forward-looking
statements.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance.  Such
forward-looking  statements were prepared by the Company based upon  information
available at the time of such statements.  Forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update
publicly any of them in light of new information or future events.