RAND Randstad NV

ATLANTA, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Randstad's U.S. Employee Confidence Index rose to a six-month high in March, increasing 3.1 points from February to 57.1. In addition, workers reported the highest level of job security since May 2008, with 77 percent indicating it is unlikely they will lose their positions. These upticks reveal that American workers remain confident with the workplace, the strength of the U.S. economy, job availability, their potential to find jobs and the future of their current employers.

The rise in Randstad's employee confidence data aligns with other macro-economic indicators that point to positive trends for the overall economy. The Conference Board Consumer Index climbed to 82.3, up from 78.3 in February -- the first reading above 82 since June 2013 and the highest reading since January 2008. Economists note that rising consumer confidence indicates Americans are more upbeat about the economic conditions, including future job prospects.

"In concert with rising employee confidence, we see the workplace tilting toward a candidates' market," said Michelle Prince, SVP of Talent Management, Randstad North America. "This candidate-centric dynamic is reflected both in our index figures and broader economic indicators, and candidates rightly feel confident that 2014 holds professional promise."

Prince also noted that Randstad's transition index, which tracks workers' likelihood to conduct a job search, decreased from 36 percent in February to 33 percent in March. "Although the month-to-month transition number dropped, employers should pay attention that one-third of the workforce is still likely to look for a new job," she said. Prince emphasized that with the employment pendulum swinging toward job seekers, now is an excellent time for companies to focus on retention efforts to boost employee engagement and help retain their best people.

The Randstad research was conducted online by Harris Poll between March 3-5 on behalf of Randstad and included 1,120 employed U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Randstad, the second largest staffing and HR services firm in the world, has tracked workforce trends and published 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 finance and accounting. From professional services, commercial staffing and 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 5,324 employment experts, Randstad puts an average of approximately 100,000 people to work in the U.S. each week through its network of nearly 1,000 branches and client-dedicated locations.

Learn more at www.randstad.com and access Randstad's panoramic U.S. 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 2014 Randstad Employment Tracker was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Randstad between March 3-5, 2014 among a U.S. sample of 1,120 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, the words "margin of error" are avoided 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 Poll 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.

SOURCE Randstad