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Sixty-six percent of technology workers are confident in the future of their current employer, up four percentage points from the third quarter of 2007.
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More workers believe the economy is slowing. Fifty-two percent of surveyed workers believe theeconomy is getting weaker, compared to 40 percent in the previous quarter.
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Sixty percent of technology workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, increasing three percentage points from the third quarter of 2007.
“Despite concerns about the economy, the demand for skilled IT professionals continues to exist. In addition, workers remain confident in their ability to find work and forty percent are likely to do so,” said Brendan Courtney,senior vice president of corporate development and field operations for Spherion®. “This shows us that amid mixed economic reports about the current employment situation, many technology workers realize how marketable they are. As we head into 2008, we fully expect steady hiring to continue and the need for companies to fill existing and new roles with top talent to increase. For now, we are seeing business expand, driven in part by company initiatives that seek to increase performance through enhanced technology.”
| 4Q 2007 Employment Report Results: IT | IT Workers | U.S. Workers | |||||
| 3Q 2007 | 4Q 2007 | % Point Change | 3Q 2007 | 4Q 2007 | % Point Change | ||
| Economy | Getting Stronger | 21% | 12% | -6 | 19% | 14% | -5 |
| Staying Same | 38% | 36% | -2 | 38% | 33% | -5 | |
| Getting Weaker | 40% | 52% | +12 | 43% | 53% | +10 | |
| Job Availability | More Jobs | 26% | 25% | -1 | 26% | 21% | -5 |
| Same Amount | 38% | 40% | +2 | 37% | 38% | +1 | |
| Fewer Jobs | 36% | 35% | -1 | 37% | 42% | +5 | |
| Ability to Find New Job | Confident | 57% | 60% | +3 | 59% | 56% | -3 |
| Neutral | 25% | 25% | 0 | 27% | 28% | +1 | |
| Not Confident | 17% | 15% | -2 | 14% | 16% | +2 | |
| Future of Current Employer | Confident | 62% | 66% | +4 | 67% | 63% | -4 |
| Neutral | 21% | 20% | -1 | 21% | 24% | +3 | |
| Not Confident | 17% | 14% | -3 | 12% | 13% | +1 | |
| Likelihood to Lose Job | Likely | 16% | 17% | +1 | 10% | 12% | +2 |
| Neutral | 14% | 13% | -1 | 9% | 10% | +1 | |
| Not Likely | 70% | 70% | 0 | 81% | 78% | -3 | |
| Look for New Job | Likely | 40% | 40% | 0 | 35% | 33% | -2 |
| Neutral | 14% | 14% | 0 | 10% | 11% | +1 | |
| Not Likely | 46% | 46% | 0 | 55% | 56% | +1 | |
About the Spherion Employment Report
As part of the Spherion® Emerging Workforce® Series of employment surveys, the quarterly Spherion Information Technology Employment Report provides a snapshot of the latest workforce trends among information technology professionals across the country. 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 that measures employees’ overall confidence in the economy, their employer and their ability to find other employment. The Employee Confidence Index is calculated from the results of four components that reflect these aspects of employee confidence. For each component item a ‘score’ is calculated 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 and is scaled from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (complete confidence). A reading above 50 indicates a positive confidence level.
Methodology
This 2007 Spherion® IT Employment Report for the third quarter is based on data from a Harris Interactive® online survey conducted on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 8,789 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, of whom 474 work in information technology positions within the United States between October 3-5, October 8-10, November 6-8 and November 12-14, December 3-5 and December 10-12, 2007. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
With a pure probability sample of 8,789 adults one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- 1 percentage point. Sampling error for the results of employed adults who work in information technology positions (n=484) would be +/- 4 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.
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 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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