Mergis Group A&F Worker Confidence Slightly Wavers in First Quarter of 2010

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Accounting and Finance Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among U.S. accounting and finance workers, dipped 0.3 points to 50.6 in the first quarter of 2010, according to a recent survey commissioned by The Mergis Group®, the professional placement division of SFN Group, Inc.  The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, reveals a slight hiccup in confidence among accounting and finance workers in the first few months of the new year due to declining personal confidence.

Results from the Accounting & Finance Employment Report:

• Fifty-five percent of accounting and finance workers believe there are fewer jobs available, representing a 15 percentage point drop from the fourth quarter of 2009.
• Nearly one-third (32 percent) of accounting and finance workers are not confident in their ability to find a new job. This is an increase of seven percentage points from the previous quarter.
• Fewer accounting and finance workers believe it is not likely they will lose their job in the next 12 months. Specifically 64 percent of workers believe it is unlikely, versus 74 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. This marks the lowest level in the history of the survey.

"Our Accounting and Finance Confidence Index remained relatively unchanged in the first quarter of 2010, showing a fractional dip as more workers revealed lagging confidence in their personal job security and ability to find a new job," stated Brendan Courtney, president of The Mergis Group. "However, it was encouraging to see an increase in the amount of workers citing confidence in the job market and strength of the economy. As forecasted, the economic recovery process has been and will likely continue to be gradual. Despite this, an increasing number of widely-recognized economic indicators have continued to trend more positively. As we speak with companies, we continue to hear optimism about their long-term hiring outlook, specifically in the arenas of tax, regulatory compliance, accounting and audit. Moving forward, we see green engineering, healthcare and government as bright spots in the economy."

Link to Full Report

Demographic Results

Survey Background Information

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 35 offices nationally.

The Mergis Group is a division of SFN Group, Inc.  SFN operates a family of specialty businesses providing strategic workforce solutions in professional services and general staffing. To learn more, please visit www.mergisgroup.com.

SOURCE The Mergis Group