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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 16, 2007 -- The Ohio Employee Confidence Index dropped five points in October to 50.9, according to the Spherion® Employment Report. The monthly survey, conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Spherion Corporation, indicated that more workers believe the economy is getting weaker and are concerned about the number of jobs available.
Results from the Ohio Employment Report:
- Half of workers (50 percent) believe that the economy is weakening, an increase of 13 percentage points from September.
- Fewer workers are optimistic about the number of jobs available, with only nine percent saying they believe that more jobs are available, a 10-percentage-point decrease from the previous month.
- Fifty percent of workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, a decrease of nine percentage points from September.
"The unemployment rate in Ohio increased slightly this past month, and concerns about the economy and job opportunities are contributing to the recent downturn in the Confidence Index," said Robert Schulte, Spherion franchise owner in Ohio. "The good news is that we are still seeing a strong need for technical and engineering professionals which is evident with the automotive industry experiencing a rebound. Seasonal and temporary hiring will also typically increase before and just after the Thanksgiving holiday."
| October Employment Report Results | Ohio Workers | U.S. Workers | |||||
| Sep | Oct | % Point Change | Sep | Oct | % Point Change | ||
| Economy | Getting Stronger | 14% | 14% | 0 | 18% | 17% | -1 |
| Staying Same | 50% | 36% | -14 | 38% | 38% | 0 | |
| Getting Weaker | 37% | 50% | +13 | 44% | 46% | +2 | |
| Job Availability | More Jobs | 19% | 9% | -10 | 26% | 24% | -2 |
| Same Amount | 35% | 40% | +5 | 35% | 38% | +3 | |
| Fewer Jobs | 46% | 51% | +5 | 39% | 39% | 0 | |
| Ability to Find New Job | Confident | 59% | 50% | -9 | 58% | 58% | 0 |
| Neutral | 29% | 34% | + | 27% | 27% | 0 | |
| Not Confident | 11% | 16% | +5 | 15% | 15% | 0 | |
| Future of Current Employer | Confident | 62% | 67% | +5 | 64% | 65% | +1 |
| Neutral | 24% | 18% | -6 | 23% | 23% | 0 | |
| Not Confident | 13% | 16% | +3 | 13% | 12% | -1 | |
| Likelihood to Lose Job | Likely | 15% | 11% | -4 | 11% | 11% | 0 |
| Neutral | 9% | 7% | -2 | 10% | 12% | +2 | |
| Not Likely | 76% | 83% | +7 | 79% | 77% | -2 | |
| Likelihood to Look for New Job | Likely | 38% | 36% | -2 | 33% | 34% | +1 |
| Neutral | 14% | 13% | -1 | 13% | 13% | 0 | |
| Not Likely | 48% | 51% | +3 | 54% | 53% | -1 | |
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 October 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 2,948 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, of whom 135 are employed in Florida (for Septmebr2007 n=127), was interviewed in a series of two polls conducted between October 3-5 and October 8-10, 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 2,948 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 nine 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 sourced, 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 700 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 more than 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 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market research firms 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 North American, European and Asian offices, 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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