NEW YORK, Nov. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Randstad
Employee Confidence Index increased by 0.8 points to 45.6 in
October. The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their
personal employment situation and optimism in the economic
environment, shows that slightly fewer workers believe the economy
is getting weaker and more believe that the number of jobs
available increased.
"Worker confidence in the economy and in the job market
continues its sluggish climb back to higher levels this month,"
says Joanie Ruge, senior vice
president and chief employment analyst of Randstad Holding U.S.
"Results from our Employee Confidence Index mirror the Thomson
Reuters/University of Michigan consumer
sentiment survey, which showed improvement for the second month in
a row. It appears that many businesses and consumers alike are
feeling uncertain in terms of a recovery in the near term due to
mixed economic signals. While we anticipate modest growth for the
remainder of this year, we are optimistic that we will see
healthier hiring activity in 2012—albeit slow-moving. This is
particularly beneficial for the temporary staffing sector as many
companies rely on these services to maintain a flexible headcount,
and to locate hard-to-find skill sets in the recovery process. We
are also seeing growth in permanent placement positions and expect
this trend to continue heading into the New Year."
The online survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf
of Randstad. It surveyed 1,219 employed U.S. adults, aged 18 and
over between October 10 and 12,
2011.
A Look Inside the Report:
Confidence in Overall Situation:
The Randstad Employee Confidence Index increased by 0.8 points
to 45.6 in October. The Index, which measures workers' confidence
in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic
environment, shows that slightly fewer workers believe the economy
is getting weaker and more believe that the number of jobs
increased.
Confidence in Macroeconomic Environment:
- Fifty-one percent of U.S. workers believe the economy has
weakened, decreasing by two percentage points from September.
- Twelve percent of employed adults believe that more jobs are
available compared to nine percent in the previous month's
report.
Confidence in Personal Employment Situation:
- The number of U.S. workers indicating that they are confident
in the future of their employer remained unchanged in October. This
indicator remains at 60 percent.
- Thirty-six percent of workers are confident in their ability to
find a new job, rising one percentage point from September.
Job Security:
- Sixty-eight percent of workers believe that it is unlikely they
will lose their jobs in the next 12 months. This is a decrease of
one percentage point from the previous month.
Job Transition:
- Thirty-four percent of workers are likely to look for a new job
in the next 12 months. This is up from 32 percent in
September.
About the Randstad Employment Report
About Harris Interactive
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on
behalf of Randstad from October 10-12,
2011 among 1,219 employed adults ages 18 and older. This
online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no
estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For
complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please
click here.
About Randstad
Randstad is an $18.8 billion
global provider of HR services and the second largest staffing
organization in the world. From temporary staffing to permanent
placement to inhouse, professionals, search & selection, and HR
Solutions, Randstad holds top positions around the world and puts
approximately 27,500 employees to work from its nearly 4,200
branches and inhouse locations in 43 countries. Founded in 1960 and
headquartered in Diemen, the
Netherlands, Randstad Holding nv is listed on the NYSE
Euronext Amsterdam (RAND.AS). Learn more at www.randstad.com.
SOURCE Randstad