Certiport Survey Reveals Certification a Boon to Information Workers Seeking to Overcome Recession Woes

Microsoft Office certified respondents from world's two largest economies say their credentials help trump non-certified job seekers in a turbulent global economy

SALT LAKE CITY – January 5, 2009

Certiport today announced that Microsoft® Office certified respondents believe they have a decisive advantage in finding work over non-certified counterparts in a recessionary economy, according to the results of a survey completed by more than 500 certified individuals from the United States and Japan. Seven out of 10 respondents said their certification favors them to be hired before other non-certified candidates.

Certification—as a demonstration of workplace proficiency—may even help information workers maintain their currents posts despite financial insecurity. Roughly half of the respondents said they believe their credentials offer them a measure of job security in the face of national and global economic challenges.

"Individuals around the world are learning how to confront distressing economic circumstances," said David Saedi, president and CEO of Certiport. "Although no single method definitively ensures someone can become 'recession proof,' certification continues to be a cost-effective way to demonstrate value to current or prospective employers."

Because of its inherent value in business, more than two-thirds of those surveyed said they would consider earning additional Microsoft Office certifications to strengthen their work qualifications during a recession. This last item provided the only significant split between Japanese and American respondents: While six out of 10 Japanese information workers surveyed viewed the prospect of earning another certification a good idea, three out of four U.S. respondents were also favorable to supplementing their credentials with more certifications.

Microsoft Certified Application Specialist enables information workers to validate coveted skills in the most used applications of the Microsoft Office 2007 suite and Windows® Vista. Developed and distributed worldwide by Certiport, the official Microsoft Office certification program is an industry-recognized standard available in 135 countries and in 24 languages.

About Certiport

Certiport prepares individuals with current and relevant digital skills and credentials for the competitive global workforce. These solutions are delivered by more than 12,000 Certiport Centers worldwide and include Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³®), the official Microsoft® Office certification programs and the Adobe® Certified Associate certification program.

"Certiport" and "IC³" are registered trademarks of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. "Microsoft" is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Contact:

John Pilmer
801-369-7535
mediarelations@certiport.com