| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : APRIL 12, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
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| ECONOMIC TRENDS
Less Anxiety About Job Loss More employees feel more secure Six months can make quite a difference in employees' perceptions. That's the clear message of a recent quarterly survey of U.S. workers by Rutgers University's Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and the University of Connecticut's Center for Survey Research & Analysis. Back in August, after the midyear stock market correction (BW--Sept. 12), the survey found that 59% of respondents were ''very concerned'' about job security for workers and 32% felt similarly about the current unemployment rate. By the time the February survey was completed, however, the shares of workers very concerned about job security and the jobless rate had dropped to 36% and 18% respectively. And while 44% voiced strong concerns about work stress, a similar number reported that they regarded their jobs as being very close to ''the perfect job.'' Although the resurgent stock market may have affected workers' views, a monthly employment-quality index devised by Washington's Employment Policy Foundation suggests that they have a firmer basis. After treading water in mid-1998, the index (which reflects labor market trends such as the unemployment rate and the ratio of high-paying to low-paying jobs), moved up sharply in December and January. BY GENE KORETZ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
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