8.29.2005 ET

(CSRwire) ABBOTT PARK, Ill. - Abbott has been recognized on FORTUNE magazine's annual list of the "50 Best Companies for Minorities" for the eighth consecutive year.

"Maintaining a culture that leverages the power of diverse people and diverse thinking is critical to Abbott's business success," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive officer, Abbott.

Abbott's ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion has resulted in a marked increase in the number of women and minorities at the company, especially in its management ranks. In 2004, women represented 39 percent of the company's management population, with minorities representing 17 percent of management. Women also represent 17 percent of the company's corporate officers. The company's inclusive environment has led to the creation of several employee networking groups, including the Chinese Cultural Network, the Black Business Network, the Bayanihan Network, the Iberoamerican Network, the Part-Time Network and Women Leaders in Action.

About FORTUNE
To compile the ranking, FORTUNE magazine, through SmartRevenue Research, surveyed the FORTUNE 1000 companies and the 200 largest privately held U.S. companies. Corporations were judged on more than a dozen measures, including their overall diversity programs, management accountability, number of minority workers, number of future minority management candidates, the amount of corporate philanthropy which goes to programs benefiting minorities, and the level of purchasing from minority-owned firms.

FORTUNE's list of "50 Best Companies for Minorities" appears in the magazine's August 22 issue available on newsstands now.

Abbott's Rankings
Abbott's long-standing commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion has helped the company earn recognition as one of the top ten "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine. In addition, Abbott has been named to DiversityInc's annual list of "50 Top Companies for Diversity," The Scientist magazine's list of "Best Places to Work in Industry" and Princeton Review's "Best Entry Level Jobs." FORTUNE also has named Abbott as one of "America's Most Admired Companies" every year since the list's inception in 1983.

About Abbott
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 60,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at http://www.abbott.com.