Florida workers continue to see economy improving

By Palm Beach Business.com

FORT LAUDERDALE — The recession is hardly over; in fact, it may be many months before it runs its course..

But worker confidence in the economy is on the rise, at least as meansured Spherion Corp.’s Florida Employee Confidence Index.

The index, which is based on a survey of workers statewide conducted by Harris Interactive, rose for the third consecutive month to a reading of 43.4. That’s up 2.7 points from the April reading. Also Friday, Florida's Agency Workforce Innovation released its May jobs report, which showed unemployment hitting 10.2 percent statewide and 10.2 percent in Palm Beach County.

It isn’t so much that workers are seeing improvements in the economy. Rather, fewer workers  perceive  the economy as getting weaker

Forty-three percent of workers believe the economy is getting weaker, decreasing 12 percentage points from April. The number who believe the economy is improving increased 4 percentage points to 18 percent.

Forty percent of Florida workers feel neutral about their ability to find a new job, rising 13 percentage points from the previous month.

Fewer workers are likely to look for a new job in the next year. Specifically, 34 percent indicated they were likely to do so compared to 41 percent in April.

“Even though the job market remains challenging, it is refreshing to see our Employee Confidence Index continue to rise,” said Paula Franco, branch manager for Spherion Staffing Services in Florida. “There seems to be mixed reactions to the latest economic reports and because of this, many companies continue to remain cautious about adding staff until they see definitive signs of a recovery. We are also seeing many more job seekers looking for part-time work to supplement their incomes.

“Although many economists believe that the worst is behind us, an economic recovery won’t happen overnight. The good news is that U.S. job market seems to be beginning to stabilize.”

DELRAY'S ONLINE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER — PALM BEACH BUSINESS.COM
   
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JUNE 22, 2009 click to go home
 
     
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