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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 22, 2009 — The Accounting and Finance Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among U.S. accounting and finance workers, jumped 5.7 points to 48.0 in the second quarter of 2009, according to a recent survey commissioned by The Mergis Group®, the professional placement division of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN). The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, reveals that accounting and finance workers’ overall optimism rebounded in the second quarter of 2009. The upward trend in confidence was driven by fewer workers believing that the economy is getting weaker. Despite this uptick in macroeconomic confidence, fewer employed workers reported confidence in the future of their current employer.
Results from the Accounting & Finance Employment Report:
- Thirty-six percent of accounting and finance workers believe the economy is getting weaker, a decrease of 27 percentage points from the first quarter of 2009.
- Sixty-nine percent of accounting and finance workers believe there are fewer jobs available, representing a 13 percentage point decrease from the previous quarter.
- Fewer accounting and finance workers are confident in the future of their current employer. Specifically, 61 percent are confident in the future of their current employer, compared to 71 percent in the first quarter of 2009.
- Thirty-seven percent of accounting and finance workers are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, up five percentage points from the previous quarter.
“It is encouraging to see the renewed sense of macroeconomic optimism among accounting and finance workers,” stated Brendan Courtney, president of The Mergis Group. “Although this is certainly welcoming news, given the volatility we have seen in our Accounting and Finance Employee Confidence Index and the job market over the past few quarters, it is still too early to positively determine if this uptick in confidence will persist. The general economist consensus is that the road to recovery will be long and slow moving. With continued lack of corporate confidence in the economy due to the delayed economic impact of TARP and other government stimulus programs, we believe that ongoing fluctuation in our Index is highly probable in the months to come. However, it is promising to see that accounting and finance workers are expressing higher levels of confidence and are indicating that they believe the economy is getting stronger, which are both positive signs.”
| 2Q 2009 Employment Report Results: Accounting & Finance | A&F Workers | U.S. Workers | |||||
| 1Q 2009 | 2Q 2009 | % Point Change | 1Q 2009 | 2Q 2009 | % Point Change | ||
| Economy | Getting Stronger | 11% | 26% | +15 | 6% | 19% | +13 |
| Staying Same | 26% | 38% | +12 | 25% | 40% | +15 | |
| Getting Weaker | 63% | 36% | -27 | 68% | 41% | -27 | |
| Job Availability | More Jobs | 5% | 7% | +2 | 5% | 6% | +1 |
| Same Amount | 13% | 25% | +12 | 17% | 21% | +4 | |
| Fewer Jobs | 82% | 69% | -13 | 78% | 73% | -5 | |
| Ability to Find New Job | Confident | 40% | 40% | 0 | 40% | 41% | +1 |
| Neutral | 31% | 34% | +3 | 34% | 33% | -1 | |
| Not Confident | 30% | 26% | -4 | 26% | 26% | 0 | |
| Future of Current Employer | Confident | 71% | 61% | -10 | 65% | 64% | -1 |
| Neutral | 15% | 21% | +6 | 22% | 23% | +1 | |
| Not Confident | 14% | 19% | +5 | 13% | 13% | 0 | |
| Likelihood to Lose Job | Likely | 18% | 18% | 0 | 13% | 13% | 0 |
| Neutral | 12% | 14% | +2 | 13% | 13% | 0 | |
| Not Likely | 70% | 68% | -2 | 70% | 70% | 0 | |
| Likelihood to Look for New Job | Likely | 32% | 37% | +5 | 34% | 34% | 0 |
| Neutral | 11% | 11% | 0 | 12% | 12% | 0 | |
| Not Likely | 57% | 52% | -5 | 54% | 54% | 0 | |
About The Mergis Group
The Mergis Group is a leading professional placement firm that specializes in recruiting for positions in finance and accounting, engineering and manufacturing, sales and marketing, legal and human resources. The firm provides recruiting services to Fortune 500 and small and mid-sized companies through its network of 36 offices nationally.
The Mergis Group is a division of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN). For more information, please visit www.mergisgroup.com.
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