Four In Five Employees Worried About The Economy

Author: RP News Wires

5-8-09

Eighty percent of employees are worried about the state of the economy, according to a nationwide survey of 501 employed Americans conducted by Right Management. While 16% of respondents are distracted at work as a result of their worry, the majority (84%) say they dont feel that their concern is impacting their job performance. Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services.

Are you worried about the state of the economy?

• 35% = Very worried
• 45% = Somewhat worried
• 11% = Not too worried
• 9% = Not at all worried

Have your concerns impacted your job performance?

• 84% = No, I am not distracted at work and can focus on getting the job done
• 14% = Yes, I am sometimes distracted at work, but am doing the best I can
• 2% = Yes, I am often distracted at work and find it difficult to do my job well

The findings highlight the challenge for employed Americans to remain optimistic during the economic recession, said Douglas J. Matthews, President and Chief Operating Officer at Right Management. While worried about the economy, most people say that the daily doom and gloom reports are not distracting their performance at work. With job losses continuing to mount, unemployment reaching new heights and organizations struggling to meet profitability goals, employees are working hard and staying focused on getting the job done.

Among the surveys other findings:

• Women are slightly more worried than men, with 82% of women reporting that they are Very/Somewhat Worried compared to 79% of men.
• The older a persons age the more worried they are. 42% of people aged 45 to 65+ are Very Worried, compared to only 26% of people aged 35 to 44 years.
• The higher educated an individual, the more worried, with 88% of people holding post graduate studies being Very/Somewhat Worried compared to 77% of people with high school education levels or less.

Matthews cautions leaders to not lose sight of long-term goals and find ways to keep employees engaged and committed to the organization through the economic downturn. Its important to recognize and reward high-performing employees for their resilience, hard work and loyalty during this period. Look for innovative solutions to invest in your people and demonstrate your commitment to them. Failure to do so may result in higher turnover once the economy rebounds and opportunities open up. The degree of workforce productivity and engagement will differentiate successful organizations from those that flounder.

The telephone survey of 501 employed Americans was conducted for Right Management between March 12-15, 2009 by International Communications Research, Media, PA. Percentages are based on total respondents currently employed full-time or part-time. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4% with a 95% confidence level.

About Right Management
Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans talent assessment, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement and workforce transition. Right Management has a global network of more than 300 service locations in over 50 countries, serving 80% of the Fortune 500 and 50% of the Global 1000 companies.

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