employee confidence dips slightly in april
back to overviewWorkers cautiously optimistic about economic activity and job market recovery
NEW YORK, 05.07.12 – Employee confidence slightly decreased by 1.2 points in April, after steadily increasing over the last three months, according to the latest Randstad US Employment Report. Prompted by increased concerns about the economy and job market, just over a quarter (27 percent) of employees believe the economy is getting stronger. This is down 5 percent from last month, indicating that U.S. workers are cautious about the current economic climate.
“Despite a slight dip in our overall index, we do not anticipate this being the start of a potential cooling of worker confidence,” said Joanie Ruge, senior vice president & chief employment analyst for Randstad US. “In fact, from a historical standpoint, U.S. worker confidence in April is higher than this time in both 2011 and 2010, and personal confidence is up for the fourth consecutive month. One thing to keep in mind is that the recession was very deep. Jobs are being created—albeit slower than most would like—we are still seeing moderate job growth. Additionally, we are seeing gains in the U.S. housing industry, gas prices start to decline, and retail sales picked up in March—all which will hopefully contribute to increased employee confidence in months to come.”
A Look Inside the Report
Employee Confidence Index Down Slightly, Remaining Strong:
- The Employee Confidence Index was down slightly this month, registering at 54.3 in April, after reaching 55.5 in March—its highest level in four years.
Employee’s Attitudes Towards the Economy and Job Market Decline after Seventh Consecutive Rise:
- Just over a quarter, 27 percent, of employees indicate the economy is getting stronger—down 5 percent from March.
- 49 percent of employees believe there are fewer jobs available in the market right now, down 2 percent from March .
Optimistic Around the Ability to Find a New Job Stable:
- Almost half of employees (46 percent) feel confident in their ability to find a new job, showing optimism remains strong.
Workers Steady in their Jobs; Majority Unlikely to Leave Current Position:
- 72 percent of employees feel it is not likely they will lose their job in the next year.
- A slight majority of those surveyed, 54 percent, indicate they are not likely to look for a new job in the next year.
Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Randstad from April 10-12, 2012 among 1,333 employed U.S. adults, aged 18 years and older. The survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, and region. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data has been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population. As the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
The Randstad US Employee Confidence Index has measured workforce trends across the country since 2004. For more info, contact Lesly Cardec, PR Director via email or 800.422.3819.