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Florida Employment Report: Overall Worker Sentiment Down in March as Concerns over Economy, Job Market Rise
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 20, 2007 – The Florida Employee Confidence Index dropped to its lowest level recorded since 2005, decreasing 9.4 points to 56 in March, according to the latest Spherion® Employment Report. The monthly survey of Florida workers, conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN), shows that more workers are pessimistic about the strength of the economy, job market and are less confident in their ability to find new employment.
Results from the Florida Employment Report:
- Half of all workers surveyed believe the economy is weakening. Specifically, 50 percent of workers reported that they think the economy is getting weaker, compared to 28 percent in February.
- Workers’ concern over job availability rose in March. Forty-one percent of workers believe fewer jobs are available, rising 13 percentage points from the previous month.
- Thirty percent of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, increasing two percentage points from February.
“Despite a sizeable drop in overall confidence, the job market for candidates remains strong,” said Paula Franco, branch manager of Florida for Spherion Staffing Services. “I believe the concerns about the economy are stemming from recent reports about this year’s upcoming hurricane season, rising gas prices and a slowdown in the housing market. Despite these reports, Florida businesses are still expanding their payrolls and have a particular need for workers with outbound customer service and sales, warehouse and light industrial, help desk and accounting experience. Given an increasing need to find workers, we are finding that employees are asked to do more with less. With 30 percent of workers indicating a desire to look for a new job, employers must pay attention to what keeps their workforce happy or unfortunately they will walk.”
| March Employment Report Results | |||||||
| Florida Workers | U.S. Workers | ||||||
| Feb | Mar | % Point Change | Feb | Mar | % Point Change | ||
| Economy | Getting Stronger | 31% | 14% | -17 | 24% | 17% | -7 |
| Staying Same | 40% | 36% | -4 | 42% | 42% | 0 | |
| Getting Weaker | 28% | 50% | +22 | 34% | 41% | +7 | |
| Job Availability | More Jobs | 34% | 30% | -4 | 28% | 24% | -4 |
| Same Amount | 37% | 29% | -8 | 37% | 40% | +3 | |
| Fewer Jobs | 28% | 41% | +13 | 35% | 36% | +1 | |
| Ability to Find New Job | Confident | 67% | 60% | -7 | 60% | 58% | -2 |
| Neutral | 24% | 24% | 0 | 27% | 28% | +1 | |
| Not Confident | 8% | 16% | +8 | 13% | 15% | +2 | |
| Future of Current Employer | Confident | 67% | 65% | -2 | 65% | 63% | -2 |
| Neutral | 19% | 21% | +2 | 22% | 25% | +3 | |
| Not Confident | 14% | 14% | 0 | 13% | 13% | 0 | |
| Likelihood to Lose Job | Likely | 7% | 9% | +2 | 10% | 10% | 0 |
| Neutral | 5% | 5% | 0 | 10% | 9% | -1 | |
| Not Likely | 88% | 86% | -2 | 80% | 80% | 0 | |
| Likelihood to Look for New Job | Likely | 28% | 30% | +2 | 36% | 33% | -3 |
| Neutral | 12% | 11% | -1 | 10% | 13% | +3 | |
| Not Likely | 61% | 60% | -1 | 54% | 54% | 0 | |
About the Spherion Employment Report
As part of the Spherion® Emerging Workforce® Series of employment surveys, the monthly Spherion Employment Report provides a snapshot of the latest workforce trends across the country and is issued in conjunction with state and national labor market releases. Three key indices are measured: the Spherion Job Security Index, which captures how likely respondents think it is that they will lose their job or that their job will be eliminated in the next 12 months; the Spherion Job Transition Index, which captures how likely respondents are to look for a new job in the next 12 months; and the Employee Confidence Index, which measures employees’ overall confidence in the economy, the future of their employer, the availability of jobs, and their ability to find other employment. The Employee Confidence Index is based on these four components, with a ‘score’ calculated for each by taking the difference of the percentage of positive responses and the percentage of negative responses. These four scores are then averaged to indicate an overall level of employee confidence scaled from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (complete confidence). A reading above 50 indicates a positive confidence level.
Methodology
The March 2007 Spherion® Employment Report is based on data from a Harris Interactive® QuickQuerySM online survey conducted on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 3,044 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, of whom 139 are employed in Florida (for Feb 2007 n=188), was interviewed in a series of two polls conducted between March 5-7 and March 12-14, 2007. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education and region were weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting adjusted for respondents’ propensity to be online.
With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 3,044 U.S. employed adults one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- two percentage points, and the sampling error for the Florida state sample results would be plus or minus eight percentage points. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About Spherion
Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for more than 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.
Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for more than 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.
With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to more than 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing nearly 300,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America’s largest employers. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. For up-to-date career tips and trends, visit Spherion’s career blog, The Big TimeSM, at www.spherion.com/careerblog.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiaries Novatris in France and MediaTransfer AG in Germany, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiaries Novatris in France and MediaTransfer AG in Germany, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.
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