Employee Confidence Continues to Rise Among Office and Administrative Employees in Q3

ATLANTA, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Randstad Office and Administration Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among the sector's employees in the U.S., continued to rise in the third quarter, increasing almost two points to 55.9. The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive among 362 office and administrative employees. Data was collected July 9-11, August 5-7 and September 9-11, 2013, and thus does not reflect the attitudes of employees during and after the government shutdown.

In the third quarter report, more office and administrative workers believe the economy is improving, rising five percentage points to 34 percent from the second quarter of 2013. In addition, 65 percent of respondents expressed they were confident about the future health of their current employers, rising three percentage points from the previous quarter.

"Over the last few years, many accounting departments consolidated positions, leaving managers to handle the responsibilities typically covered by accounts payable and accounts receivable clerks. However, we are seeing increasing demand from our clients wanting to add support roles back into the equation," said Phyllis Finley, Executive Vice President at Randstad US. "We have also seen an increase in the need for part-time accounting support and part-time medical administration personnel because of new reporting requirements, and the upcoming implementation of the Affordable Care Act."

Q3 2013 Survey Highlights:

Office and Administrative Employee Confidence in the Strength of the Economy Rises in Q3

• More than a third (34%) of office and administrative workers believe the economy is getting stronger, rising five percentage points from the previous quarter's reading.

Consistent Percentage of Workers Believe More Jobs Are Available

• Over one-in-five (21%) office and administrative workers believe there are more jobs available, falling just one percentage point from the second quarter of 2013. Meanwhile, over four-in-10 (44%) workers believe there are fewer jobs available, falling three percentage points from the previous quarter's readings.

Administrative Workers' Confidence in Ability to Find Jobs Rises Slightly in Q3

• When asked how optimistic they are in their ability to find employment, 40 percent of administrative workers indicate that they are confident they could find a job, rising one percentage point from the second quarter of 2013.

Administrative Workers' Confidence in Their Employers' Future Rises

• A majority of administrative workers (65%) feel confident in the future of their current employer, rising three percentage points from the previous quarter.

Slightly Fewer Administrative Workers Likely to Job Search

• Dropping three percentage points from the previous quarter, 28 percent of administrative workers say they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months. Meanwhile, more than half (57%) say they are not likely to look for a job, a rise of two percentage points from the previous quarter.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Randstad from July 9-11, August 5-7 and September 9-11, 2013, among 3,163 adults 18 and older of which 362 are employed in office and administrative positions. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Randstad Office and Administration
Across the board, Randstad helps companies match the right people with the right jobs. We provide the expertise, the qualified talent pool and the dedicated commitment to making superior matches at a reasonable cost to companies. And we do it on the basis that best suits your needs. Whether you're looking for administrative and clerical support, or the highest caliber talent to fill higher-level jobs, we make it our business to develop office staffing solutions that work. Our exceptional resources allow us to fill an extensive range of general office and executive positions.          

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 US, Randstad holds top positions in permanent placement, office and administrative, IT and accounting and finance. From professional services, commercial staffing, 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 5,660 employment experts, Randstad puts an average of nearly 100,000 people to work in the U.S. each week, through its network of more than 900 branches and client-dedicated locations.

Learn more at www.randstad.com and access Randstad's panoramic US 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.       

SOURCE Randstad