American Workers Confidence In Job Market At Highest Level In Two Years, Says Survey By Right Management Consultants - 76 Percent of U.S. Workers Believe Their Jobs Are Secure

Americans feel more confident about the job market than they have in two years, with three-quarters saying there is little or no likelihood that they will lose their jobs in the coming year, according to a survey of more than 1,000 fulltime workers by Right Management Consultants.

Philadelphia (PRWEB) November 16, 2004 -- Americans feel more confident about the job market than they have in two years, with three-quarters saying there is little or no likelihood that they will lose their jobs in the coming year, according to a survey of more than 1,000 fulltime workers by Right Management Consultants.

Despite their relative security about their own jobs, Americans still believe the overall job market remains tight: Nearly 80 percent said it would be somewhat or very difficult for an out-of-work employee to find a comparably paying job. Half of that group -- or 41 percent of all respondents -- said it would be very difficult to land a new job at similar pay.    

For the first time since Right launched the Career Confidence Index two years ago, the percentage of American workers predicting a rise in the unemployment rate dropped below 70 percent, to 65 percent.

"In the two years since we have been tracking employee confidence levels, this is the most positive American workers have felt," said Doug Matthews, Executive Vice President and head of Career Transition Services for Right Management Consultants. "The most noticeable shift this period has been a drop in the percentage of American workers who believe that unemployment will rise."

When asked how likely it was that they would advance at their current companies, workers were almost evenly split. Nearly 50 percent said it was very or somewhat possible, while 49 percent said it was not very possible or not possible at all. Among that latter group, 29.1 percent said there was no possibility of advancement.

Younger workers, and black and Hispanic workers, were more likely to report feeling optimistic about moving up at their present companies. Sixty-seven percent of 18 -- 34-year olds said job advancement was possible. Sixty-one percent of blacks and 62 percent of Hispanics surveyed said moving up in their jobs was a possibility.

"Nearly half of American workers do not anticipate advancing with their current employers -- and of those, nearly 30 percent say there is no possibility of moving up at their companies," noted Matthews. "That may indicate a disengaged workforce, or employees who are looking to leave their current jobs."

"As the economy improves, more workers will begin looking to change jobs," added Matthews. "Wise managers know that they need to identify and develop the talent they want in place for the future, since those who feel most disenfranchised will be the most likely to leave."

About the Methodology

The Career Confidence Index is conducted by Right Management Consultants twice a year to measure career confidence among fulltime workers in the United States.

The Index is based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,017 fulltime workers, at all levels and with household incomes ranging from less than $25,000 to more than $75,000. These results are based on interviews conducted between September 22 -- 28 and have an average error margin of +/- 4.21 percentage points. The fieldwork was coordinated by ICR - International Communications Research of Media, Pa.

About Right Management Consultants

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Right Management Consultants (www.right.com) is the world's largest career transition and organizational consulting firm. From offices around the world, the firm offers a complete range of outplacement services and consults with clients to help design customized solutions for enhanced assessment, leadership development, strategic talent management and strategy execution.

In combination, the two lines of business enable Right to help businesses manage the entire life cycle of their employees. Right is a wholly owned subsidiary of Manpower, Inc. (NYSE: MAN).

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EDITOR'S NOTE: A Detailed Summary Report is available by contacting Anne Buchanan at 610.649.9292 or anne@buchananpr.com.

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