Despite Signs to the Contrary, Workers Feel Fewer Jobs Available

A Spherion Employment Report released Friday states that despite an increase of 144,000 jobs in August and continued job growth throughout the past year, 48% of respondents believed that fewer jobs were available, up five points from the previous month (See Four Out of 10 Workers Seeking New Employment Opportunities ). Regarding the strength of the economy, 37% believe it is weakening, up seven points from the previous month.

“American workers’ pessimism about the economy is certainly a reflection of the slowed job growth of the last few months, despite the resurgence of hiring reported in August and other economic indictors that point to a sustained economic growth pattern,” said Roy Krause, Spherion president and chief operating officer, in a press release. “However, our research continues to show that this pessimism has not spilled over into the personal confidence of American workers. As we saw in July, they remain quite content with their personal situation regarding their employer and their ability to find a new job.” This personal confidence shows in the survey, for 75% of respondents believe that their jobs are secure for the next year.

In other results from the survey, 54% of respondents claim they have confidence in their ability to find a new position, down one point from July. Also, 64% of American workers feel confident in the future of their employer, down one point from last month.

The survey by Sepherion covered 2,565 employed adults.