Transaction in Own Shares

Hays PLC
16 May 2007

                                    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:                            16 May 2007

Number of ordinary shares purchased:         277,645

Highest price paid per share:                170p

Lowest price paid per share:                 169.50p

Volume weighted average price per share:     169.9753p

Hays intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury.

Following the purchase of these shares, Hays holds 109,642,320 of its ordinary
shares in treasury and has 1,454,454,246 ordinary shares in issue (excluding
treasury shares).



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