Press Room
Press Release Archive
CHICAGO, Ill., December 20, 2007 – The Illinois Employee Confidence Index decreased to 47.8, dropping 3.6 points in November, according to the latest Spherion®Employment Report. The monthly survey of Illinois workers, conducted by Harris Interactive® on behalf of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN), indicates that more workers are concerned about the future of their current employer and more workers believe that fewer jobs are available. The survey also showed that fewer workers plan to change jobs in the next year.
Results from the Illinois Employment Report:
- Fifty-three percent of workers are confident in the future of their current employer, a 10-percentage-point drop from October.
- More workers are concerned about job availability, with half (50 percent) saying they believe fewer jobs are available, an increase of nine percentage points from the previous month.
- Twenty-nine percent of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next year, a decrease of 13 percentage points from October.
“It is a bit surprising that the Confidence Index decreased to its lowest level because government job reports are very encouraging in regards to payroll growth and unemployment. This month’s report could be a result of the residual effects of national concern about the economy and energy prices,” explained Michael Ruter, managing director of Spherion Professional Services in Chicago. “Across the state, we’ve seen a positive gain in retail as we lead up to the holidays and insurance is still posting strong employment growth.”
| November Employment Report Results | Illinois Workers | U.S. Workers | |||||
| Oct | Nov | % Point Change | Oct | Nov | % Point Change | ||
| Economy | Getting Stronger | 13% | 11% | -2 | 17% | 12% | -5 |
| Staying Same | 24% | 31% | +7 | 38% | 32% | -6 | |
| Getting Weaker | 63% | 58% | -5 | 46% | 56% | +10 | |
| Job Availability | More Jobs | 18% | 14% | -4 | 24% | 20% | -4 |
| Same Amount | 41% | 36% | -5 | 38% | 39% | +1 | |
| Fewer Jobs | 41% | 50% | +9 | 39% | 41% | +2 | |
| Ability to Find New Job | Confident | 50% | 47% | -3 | 58% | 56% | -2 |
| Neutral | 34% | 34% | 0 | 27% | 30% | +3 | |
| Not Confident | 16% | 19% | +3 | 15% | 15% | 0 | |
| Future of Current Employer | Confident | 63% | 53% | -10 | 65% | 61% | -4 |
| Neutral | 23% | 30% | +7 | 23% | 25% | +2 | |
| Not Confident | 14% | 16% | +2 | 12% | 14% | +2 | |
| Likelihood to Lose Job | Likely | 19% | 12% | -7 | 11% | 11% | 0 |
| Neutral | 6% | 14% | +8 | 12% | 10% | -2 | |
| Not Likely | 74% | 74% | 0 | 77% | 79% | +2 | |
| Likelihood to Look for New Job | Likely | 42% | 29% | -13 | 34% | 32% | +2 |
| Neutral | 4% | 13% | +9 | 13% | 10% | -3 | |
| Not Likely | 54% | 58% | +4 | 53% | 58% | +5 | |
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.
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 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.
 |
|
Connect with Lesly on Linkedin
Follow Lesly
for SFN Updates
