NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2012
/PRNewswire/ -- The Randstad Employee Confidence Index
decreased last month to 51.7, breaking a previous two-month climb
in confidence. In the November Index, employees showed increased
uncertainty around the availability of new jobs and in the strength
of the economy. Despite the decrease in optimism, the majority of
U.S. workers (59 percent) maintain strong levels of confidence in
their employers' future. Additionally, slightly more workers
expressed an increased sense of job security.
"November was a month of ups and downs for the U.S. labor
market, but for the most part, our Index has remained fairly high
given the mixed economic headlines," said Jim Link, managing director of human resources
for Randstad US. "With the presidential election behind us,
economic anxiety still exists around the so-called fiscal cliff,
potential sharp tax increases, and the economic outlook overseas.
Yet, there are some very positive signs as we move into the last
month of the year. The retail holiday season started off strong
with more sales activity in stores and online when compared to
2011. Consumers are also more confident than we've seen since early
2008, the housing market is showing signs of recovery, and third
quarter GDP growth was revised upward to 2.7 percent. Despite this
welcoming news, the economy still remains fragile and the
unemployment rate will likely show little movement as we close
out 2012."
Look Inside the Report:
Employee Confidence Decreases in November
- The Employee Confidence Index decreased 2.6 points to 51.7 in
November after increasing in both September (0.8 points) and
October (1.9 points)
U.S. Workers Remain Uncertain Around the Economy and
Jobs
- November saw a seven percentage point increase in employees
indicating they believe the economy is getter weaker (41 percent
versus 34 percent last month)
- Fifty-two percent of workers believe fewer jobs are
available, an increase of six percentage points over last
month
- Only 20 percent believe more jobs are available
Confidence Holds Strong for Employers' Future and Personal
Job Security
- Most employees, 59 percent, continue to feel confident in the
future of their current employers and companies
- Almost three-quarters of employees also feel secure in their
jobs, with 72 percent indicating it is unlikely they will lose
their job in the next 12 months. This number has held strong
throughout 2012
Employees Remain Optimistic Around Future Job
Prospects
- Forty-three percent of employees in November indicated they are
confident in their personal ability to find a new job, however, a
quarter of employees (25 percent) reported they were not confident
in their ability to find a new job
- More than a third of employees, 36 percent, are ready to move
on to their next job, indicating it is likely they will transition
to a new job in the next year
The Randstad U.S. Employee Confidence Index measures workforce
trends across the country since 2004.
About Harris Interactive
Methodology
This November
2012 Randstad Employment Tracker was conducted online within
the United States by Harris
Interactive on behalf of Randstad between November 12-14, 2012 among a U.S. sample of 1,421
employed adults, aged 18 years and older. 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
have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data
have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult
population. Because 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.
About Randstad
Randstad is a $22.5 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 has
approximately 28,700 corporate employees working from its nearly
4,700 branches and inhouse locations in 40 countries. Founded in
1960 and headquartered in Diemen, the
Netherlands, Randstad Holding nv is listed on the NYSE
Euronext Amsterdam.
Learn more at
http://www.randstad.com.
SOURCE Randstad