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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., January 14, 2009 — The IT Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among U.S. information technology workers, decreased seven points to 40.4 in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a recent survey commissioned by Technisource®, the technology placement division of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN). The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, indicates that overall confidence levels among IT workers surveyed dropped in the fourth quarter as a result of workers’ increased concerns about the strength of the economy and the number of jobs available.
Results from the IT Employment Report:
- Seventy-six percent of technology workers believe the economy is getting weaker, up 12 percentage points from the third quarter of 2008.
- Three out of four technology workers (76 percent) believe that fewer jobs are available, an increase of 17 percentage points from the previous quarter.
- Conversely, the percentage of workers that are confident in the future of their current employer increased by two percentage points to 67 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008.
“There is no doubt that we are in a historic economic slowdown,” said Michael Winwood, president of Technisource. “Many industries are under intense scrutiny for cost-cutting. While times are tough, we are advising our clients to seize opportunities to make changes that improve productivity. Whether through consolidation of multiple systems or platforms, outsourcing, cutting back on perks and traveling, looking at labor and capitol tradeoffs, or utilizing contractors versus permanent employees, reducing costs doesn’t have to mean reducing capabilities. If done the right way, it can boost efficiency and optimize performance. There is little margin of error to be made in this economic environment.”
| 4Q 2008 Employment Report Results: Information Technology | IT Workers | U.S. Workers | |||||
| 3Q 2008 | 4Q 2008 | % Point Change | 3Q 2008 | 4Q 2008 | % Point Change | ||
| Economy | Getting Stronger | 10% | 5% | -5 | 8% | 5% | -3 |
| Staying Same | 27% | 20% | -7 | 24% | 21% | -3 | |
| Getting Weaker | 64% | 76% | +12 | 68% | 75% | +7 | |
| Job Availability | More Jobs | 12% | 6% | -6 | 11% | 6% | -5 |
| Same Amount | 30% | 18% | -12 | 28% | 20% | -8 | |
| Fewer Jobs | 59% | 76% | +17 | 61% | 74% | +13 | |
| Ability to Find New Job | Confident | 48% | 41% | -7 | 49% | 41% | -8 |
| Neutral | 33% | 32% | -1 | 32% | 34% | +2 | |
| Not Confident | 19% | 27% | +8 | 19% | 27% | +6 | |
| Future of Current Employer | Confident | 65% | 67% | +2 | 65% | 66% | +1 |
| Neutral | 21% | 19% | -2 | 23% | 23% | 0 | |
| Not Confident | 14% | 14% | 0 | 12% | 12% | 0 | |
| Likelihood to Lose Job | Likely | 17% | 19% | +2 | 13% | 14% | +1 |
| Neutral | 10% | 14% | +4 | 11% | 12% | +1 | |
| Not Likely | 73% | 68% | -5 | 76% | 74% | -2 | |
| Likelihood to Look for New Job | Likely | 41% | 35% | -6 | 35% | 33% | -2 |
| Neutral | 10% | 14% | +4 | 11% | 12% | +1 | |
| Not Likely | 49% | 51% | +2 | 54% | 55% | +1 | |
About the Spherion Employment Report
About Technisource
Technisource, one of the largest technology services providers in North America, delivers a wide range of staffing, management services and technology solutions. With nearly 40 years of experience, Technisource provides services to a broad range of clients to maximize their technology investments. Focused on quality, flexibility and value, the company’s service offerings range from IT staffing, deployment and support services to software quality management, strategic projects and outsourcing.
Through its network of more than 52 offices across the U.S., Technisource maintains a group of 8,000 experienced consultants and employees that deliver its portfolio of service offerings to Fortune 500 corporations, mid-sized companies and small organizations. Technisource is a subsidiary of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN). For more information, please visit www.technisource.com.
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