Randstad U.S. Employee Confidence Index Indicates Improved Outlook on Employers, Personal Prospects and Economy at Large

NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Confidence levels among the American workforce continue to show strength, according to the August Randstad Employee Confidence Index. The report shows increased optimism among workers about both the economy and their job security with the U.S. Employee Confidence Index rising 1.7 points to 58.0 in August. This 2013 Randstad Employment Tracker was conducted by Harris Interactive between August 5-7, 2013 among a U.S. sample of 1,073 employed adults, aged 18 years and older.

Given the widespread optimism about the job market, job security and workforce, it comes as no surprise that fewer employees are likely to look for a new job than in July (down four percentage points to 32%). The study also showed that three-in-five (61%) respondents are confident in the future of their current employer.

"The August numbers were notably strong and continue the positive trend we have seen over the past few months, starting in April when confidence figures reached pre-recession highs," said Jim Link, managing director, Randstad U.S. "This is significant as we seldom see a scenario where nearly all indices indicate an improved outlook."

Added Link, "It is also important to note that although fewer workers expressed interest in job searching, this does not exclude the possibility of top talent passively searching for other opportunities or being recruited to other organizations. It is widely known that many industries are experiencing critical shortages in skilled talent. This is a very real problem, and in fact, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported in a recent survey that two-thirds of organizations are having a hard time recruiting for specific job openings. Skilled employees are definitely in the driver's seat and we would expect this trend to continue despite what micro and macro events happen around us."

Randstad, the second largest staffing and HR services firm in the world, has been tracking workforce trends and publishing the U.S. Employee Confidence Index since 2004.

About Randstad US
Randstad US is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad Holding nv, a $22.0 billion global provider of HR services. As the third largest staffing organization in the U.S., Randstad holds top positions in permanent placement, office and administrative, IT and accounting and finance. From professional services, commercial staffing, recruitment process outsourcing, to managed services and more, Randstad delivers a comprehensive range of temporary, temporary-to-hire, permanent placement and outsourced placement services. With its 5,660 employment experts, Randstad puts an average of nearly 100,000 people to work in the U.S. each week, through its network of more than 900 branches and client-dedicated locations.

Learn more at www.randstad.com and access Randstad's panoramic US thought leadership knowledge center through its Workforce360 site that offers valuable insight into the latest economic indicators and HR trends shaping the world of work.

Methodology
This 2013 Randstad Employment Tracker was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Randstad between August 5-7, 2013 among a U.S. sample of 1,073 employed adults, aged 18 years and older. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, and region. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll® and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers proprietary solutions in the areas of market and customer insight, corporate brand and reputation strategy, and marketing, advertising, public relations and communications research. Harris possesses expertise in a wide range of industries including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Additionally, Harris has a portfolio of multi-client offerings that complement our custom solutions while maximizing our client's research investment. Serving clients in more than 196 countries and territories through our North American and European offices, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients—stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

SOURCE Randstad

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED