Benefits December 14, 2005

Workers Report Greater Optimism for 2006

December 14, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Forty-seven percent of workers think their job prospects will be better in 2006 than in 2005, according to a Hudson survey.
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In addition, 21% of workers surveyed said they expect to earn significantly more in 2006, and another 42% expect to earn at least a little more, according to a Hudson press release.

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Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported that they have no plans to look for a new job, compared to 22% a year ago. Still 37% said it is very or somewhat likely that they will actively seek new job opportunities in the new year, but that is lower than the 42% who said so last year.

Additional findings of the Hudson Employment Index, according to the release, include:

  • Workers in Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul had the greatest job satisfaction among the 11 cities polled, with an average of 75% of the workforce in both cities happy at work in 2005. Sixty-nine percent of Chicago workers were satisfied with their jobs, ranking them last overall in this category.
  • The Hudson Employment Index for manufacturing workers was by far the lowest among the occupational sectors in 2005.
  • Accounting and finance workers were the most optimistic, followed by health care workers.
  • With more than twenty points between the highest and lowest readings, IT and manufacturing workers’ readings were more volatile than those in health care and accounting and finance.
  • Workers in the health care sector were the least likely to expect layoffs, with an average of just 15% expressing concern monthly in 2005.

A detailed report can be found here .

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