In January, employee confidence fell by 3.3 points to 52.1, suggesting workers are uncertain about the job market and economy, according to the Randstad Employee Confidence Index.
The research also shows that 26 percent of respondents say the economy is strengthening, a decline of 5 percentage points from December.
"Our recent findings show U.S. workers are somewhat more concerned as we head into the new year," says Jim Link, managing director of Randstad US. "Many economists and other widely cited confidence indices, such as the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, point to the increase in payroll taxes having an effect on workers' sentiment. It is possible this tax hike could dampen consumer confidence for the near future, and our findings are clearly showing an impact on January's numbers already."
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Although confidence slipped in January, it's still above the confidence threshold of 50 from last year. There are also indicators of improvement in the retail, manufacturing and health care sectors, and the housing market is becoming more active.
Fifty-three percent of respondents report that fewer jobs are available, an increase from 46 percent in December, and 43 percent of respondents are confident they could find new jobs. Another 72 percent of respondents say they are secure in the current jobs despite the drop of confidence in the job market and economy. Even 61 percent of respondents show confidence regarding the future of their employers, up from 59 percent in December.
When it comes to finding a new job, 33 percent of respondents say they are likely to make the transition, which is on par with December's figure, while 54 percent of respondents say they are likely to stay with their current positions, up two percentage points from December.
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