FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The SFN Group Employee Confidence Index slipped 0.3 points to 47.8 in July.  The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, showed little change from June. However, a noticeable decline was seen in economic optimism, with fewer workers expressing confidence in the strength of the economy and job availability.  

"Employee confidence declined for the second consecutive month, registering at its lowest point since July 2009 when our Index stood at 46.7," says Roy Krause, President and CEO of SFN Group, Inc. "I have no doubt that the news surrounding the U.S. debt ceiling negotiations contributed to the concerns and anxiety that our workforce is feeling.  Additionally, many employers continue to focus on increasing operational efficiencies and are hesitant to add additional permanent staff until more positive news comes out about the health of the economy. However, our industry continues to see employers increase their flexible workforce and we encourage job seekers to consider this a viable way to get their foot in the door."

The online survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the SFN Group.  It surveyed 1,383 employed U.S. adults, aged 18 and over between July 11 and 13, 2011.

A Look Inside the Report:

Confidence in Overall Situation:

The SFN Group Employee Confidence Index slipped 0.3 points to 47.8 in July.  The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, showed little change from June. However, a noticeable decline was seen in economic optimism, with fewer workers expressing confidence in the strength of the economy and job availability.  

Confidence in Macroeconomic Environment:

  • Sixteen percent of U.S. workers believe the economy has strengthened, down from the 20 percent of workers who expressed confidence in June.
  • Three-fifths (61 percent) of workers believe there are fewer jobs available, increasing three percentage points from last month.

Confidence in Personal Employment Situation:

  • More than half (59 percent) of workers are confident in the future of their current employer, increasing two percentage points from the previous month.
  • Fewer workers are confident in their ability to find a new job. Specifically, 38 percent of workers expressed confidence in July as compared to 40 percent in June.

Job Security:

  • Sixty-nine percent of workers believe that it is unlikely they will lose their jobs in the next 12 months. This is an increase of one percentage point from the previous month.

Job Transition:

  • One-third (33 percent) of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, a slight dip from the 35 percent of workers who indicated the likelihood to make a job transition in June.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of SFN Group from July 11-13, 2011 among 1,383 employed adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please

About SFN Group, Inc.

SFN Group is a strategic workforce solutions company that provides professional services and general staffing to help businesses more effectively source, deploy and manage people and the work they do.  As an industry pioneer, SFN Group has sourced, screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs for more than 65 years.

With approximately 560 locations in the United States and Canada, SFN delivers strategic workforce solutions that improve business performance.  From outsourcing to technology to professional services to staffing, SFN delivers the best combination of people, performance, and service to improve the way work gets done.  It provides its services to approximately 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations.  The company employs more than 170,000 people annually through its network and is one of North America's largest employers.  SFN provides its solutions through a family of specialized businesses:  Technisource, Tatum, The Mergis Group, Todays Office Professionals, SourceRight Solutions and Spherion Staffing Services.

SOURCE SFN Group, Inc.