Press Release

Abbott Recognized as One of the Best Places for New Graduates to Launch a Career

BusinessWeek Magazine Names Abbott One of the "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" for the Third Straight Year

	Recognition as a Leading Business
	Recognition as a Premier Employer
	Recognition for Scientific Innovation
	Recognition as a Responsible Corporate Citizen

Abbott Park, Illinois, September 8, 2008 (NYSE: ABT)

News Facts

Abbott was named one of the "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" by BusinessWeek magazine in recognition of the company's efforts and results in offering exceptional career opportunities for recent graduates.
For the third year in a row, Abbott was the highest-ranking health care company on the list.
Abbott offers many programs and benefits that are important to Generation Y, including an online mentoring program to provide one-on-one support and guidance; employee networks that provide informal networking opportunities; tuition reimbursement available immediately upon hire; broad health and wellness offerings that include on-site fitness centers, sports leagues and activity clubs; and opportunities to volunteer in local philanthropic programs.
BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is in the September 15, 2008 issue, which is available on newsstands now.

Quotes

"At Abbott, we connect people with their potential, offering a lifetime of challenging and rewarding career opportunities. And with global, diverse businesses across the spectrum of health care, talented young people can look forward to having multiple careers – all in a single company."
Stephen Fussell
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Abbott

"I have been at Abbott for two years and during that time Abbott has offered me a variety of challenging opportunities through its professional development program. I have had the opportunity to work in different divisions across Abbott, performing a variety of tasks. I also was able to work in several different locations, from Abbott's headquarters in suburban Chicago, to Germany, and Ohio. My program mentor, assignment manager and I always discussed my core job responsibilities and goals to ensure that each specific project was challenging and a good learning experience. My typical day has always entailed a high level of responsibility and, working in health care, I feel like I'm making an important contribution to help improve people's lives."
Fabiola Delgado,
Financial Analyst, Abbott's Professional Development Program

Helping Interns and New Employees Pursue a World of Opportunity

Many recent college graduates and other entry-level employees come to Abbott through the company's Professional Development Programs, which are two- to three-year programs that rotate new employees through several different positions in the areas of commercial marketing, information technology, finance and accounting, engineering, environmental health & safety, manufacturing operations, quality, medicine, and human resources. These programs provide graduates with the opportunity to try different challenging assignments and develop well-rounded skills before they settle into a long-term career choice.

Abbott's U.S. internship program was named one of the "50 Best Internships" by BusinessWeek magazine in 2007. This year, Abbott offered 340 internships at 17 Abbott locations to qualified and highly motivated students in a wide range of fields including engineering, science, environmental health and safety, manufacturing, quality assurance, information technology, finance and accounting, and general business. Internships are structured to provide meaningful, hands-on learning, which has resulted in almost 50 percent of eligible interns choosing full-time positions at Abbott.

Career Opportunities at Abbott

Students and anyone interested in working at Abbott can visit the career center at www.abbott.com/careers. Recruiters access resumes everyday and fill more than
90 percent of available jobs through Internet postings.

About BusinessWeek's"Best Places to Launch a Career"

BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is based on extensive surveys of career services directors at U.S. colleges, the employers they identify as the best for new graduates, and college students themselves. BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is in the September 15, 2008 issue. Expanded content is available on BusinessWeek.com, including the full methodology, profiles of each employer, an interactive table, slide shows and a video roundtable with recruiters from top companies.

Abbott Widely Recognized as a Premier Employer

In addition to being included in BusinessWeek's "50 Best Places to Launch a Career" for three straight years, Abbott was included in the 2008 edition of Princeton Review's Best Entry-Level Jobs. Abbott also has been named to Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" list for seven consecutive years. The company has been included on DiversityInc magazine's list of the top companies for diversity for many years, and has been recognized by Science magazine as a top employer for scientists. Additionally, FORTUNE has named Abbott as one of "America's Most Admired Companies" every year since the list's inception in 1983.

Abbott also is recognized globally as a top employer, and has been honored among the best places to work in Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom.

About Abbott

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 68,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.