EXHIBIT 99.1


                                   [PGA LOGO]

PGA Contacts:    James C. Hunt                           Ken Bramlett, Jr.
                 Chief Financial Officer                 Senior Vice President
                 704-442-5105                            704-442-5106


                 PERSONNEL GROUP OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES SIGNING OF
              DEFINITIVE RESTRUCTURING AGREEMENTS ON EXPECTED TERMS


CHARLOTTE, NC (March 17, 2003) -- Personnel Group of America, Inc. (OTCBB:
PRGA), today announced the execution of definitive agreements with certain of
its creditors, including the holders of approximately $110.0 million (or 96%) of
its outstanding 5.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2004 and approximately
$43.8 million (or 42%) of its senior revolving credit debt, to effect the
financial restructuring of PGA's balance sheet. Pursuant to the definitive
agreements, the participating 5.75% noteholders will exchange their 5.75% Notes
with the Company and receive the following for each $1,000 in principal amount
of notes exchanged:

o    $28.75 in cash;

o    190.9560 shares of newly issued shares of PGA common stock; and

o    9.5242 shares of Series B preferred stock of PGA, each share of which will
     be convertible into 100 shares of common stock of PGA and will
     automatically convert into shares of common stock upon any amendment to
     PGA's charter increasing the authorized number of shares of common stock.
     The Series B preferred stock will vote on all matters with the common stock
     as if converted, will have a liquidation preference of $.01 per share, and
     otherwise will have no greater rights or privileges than the common stock.

Following completion of the notes exchange contemplated in the definitive
restructuring agreements, the participating noteholders will own approximately
82% of PGA's then outstanding common stock (assuming for this purpose that all
shares of Series B preferred stock have been converted) and the existing
shareholders (who will retain their PGA shares) approximately 18%.

Also, as announced previously, PGA and its senior revolving credit lenders who
are parties to the definitive agreements have secured options from the
non-participating senior lenders to acquire the non-participating senior
lenders' interests in the revolving credit facility.

The Company plans to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission copies of
the definitive restructuring agreements as exhibits to a Current Report on Form
8-K.

Pursuant to the definitive restructuring agreements, PGA has amended its
shareholder rights plan to exempt the execution of the definitive agreements,
and the transactions contemplated therein, from triggering rights under that
plan.

PGA expects to close the financial restructuring in the first half of 2003.
Completion is subject to a number of conditions, however, and there can be no
assurance that the Company will be able to complete the proposed restructuring
as planned or at all.


                                     -MORE-




PGA Announces Definitive Restructuring Agreement
Page 2
March 17, 2003


About PGA

Personnel Group of America, Inc. is a nationwide provider of information
technology consulting and custom software development services; high-end
clerical, accounting and other specialty professional staffing services; and
technology systems for human capital management. The Company's IT Services
operations now operate under the name "Venturi Technology Partners" and its
Commercial Staffing operations operate as "Venturi Staffing Partners" and
"Venturi Career Partners."

Forward-looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release may be deemed
forward-looking statements regarding events and financial trends that may affect
PGA's future operating results or financial position. These statements may be
identified by words such as "estimate," "forecast," "plan," "intend," "believe,"
"should," "expect," "anticipate," or variations or negatives thereof, or by
similar or comparable words or phrases. Forward-looking statements are subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed in such statements.

These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:
the risk that the Company may not be able to satisfy the conditions to
completion of the proposed financial restructuring, including without limitation
the Company's ability to arrange a new asset-based loan or other senior
financing on satisfactory terms or, in the event that PGA is not able to arrange
a new asset-based loan on satisfactory terms, the Company's ability to obtain
the approval of the restructuring from the Company's existing senior revolving
credit lenders; although the Company believes that the listing and trading of
its common stock on the OTC Bulletin Board satisfies the indenture requirement
applicable to PGA's Convertible Subordinated Notes that such common stock must
be either listed for trading on a U.S. national securities exchange or approved
for trading on an established automated U.S. over-the-counter trading market,
the risk that a court might determine otherwise following a challenge; an
Internal Revenue Service audit of the Company's income tax returns and the risk
that the amount of any expected or previously received income tax refunds could
be adjusted following any such audit; changes in levels of unemployment and
other economic conditions in the United States, or in particular regions or
industries; adverse changes in credit and capital markets conditions that may
affect the Company's ability to obtain financing on favorable terms; economic
declines that affect the Company's liquidity or ability to comply with its loan
covenants or covenants included in the definitive agreements; the risks of
defaults under the Company's credit agreements or the demand by any holder of
the Company's Convertible Subordinated Notes for repayment following the
occurrence of a repurchase event under the indenture applicable to its
Convertible Subordinated Notes; continuing weakness or reductions in corporate
information technology spending levels; adverse changes to management's periodic
estimates of future cash flows that may affect management's assessment of its
ability to fully recover its intangible assets; reductions in the supply of
qualified candidates for temporary employment or the Company's ability to
attract qualified candidates; the entry of new competitors into the marketplace
or expansion by existing competitors; the ability of the Company to maintain
existing client relationships and attract new clients in the context of changing
economic or competitive conditions; the impact of competitive pressures,
including any change in the demand for PGA's services, or the Company's ability
to maintain its profit margins; the possibility of the Company incurring
liability for the activities of its temporary employees or for events impacting
its temporary employees on clients' premises; the Company's success in
attracting, training and retaining qualified management personnel and other
staff employees; whether governments will impose additional regulations or
licensing requirements on personnel services businesses in particular or on
employer/employee relationships in general; and other matters discussed in this
press release and the Company's SEC filings. Because long-term contracts are not
a significant part of PGA's business, future results cannot be reliably
predicted by considering past trends or extrapolating past results. The Company
undertakes no obligation to update information contained in this release and is
not responsible for any changes made to this release by wire or Internet
services.

THE SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED BY THE COMPANY IN THE RESTRUCTURING TRANSACTIONS
WILL NOT BE AND HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION
OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.

                                      -END-