Jobs Creation Poised to be Biggest Differentiator in 2012 Presidential Election

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With the 2012 election season in full swing, the economy continues to be one of the biggest factors impacting Americans' choice for president, with 49 percent saying their vote in November will be most influenced by the issue of jobs creation, according to the latest Workplace Insights survey by Adecco Staffing US, part of the world's largest recruitment and workforce solutions provider. 

The omnibus survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation International on behalf of Adecco Staffing US, shows 36 percent of Americans believe President Obama has the most successful plan to create jobs in the U.S.  As far as the current pool of Republican candidates, only 15 percent of respondents believe Mitt Romney has the best plan to create jobs and about half that amount (8 percent) believe Ron Paul or Newt Gingrich (7 percent) have the best plan. Only 3 percent of Americans believe Rick Santorum has the most successful plan to create jobs.

"With economic growth and recovery still taking place, job creation is still understandably one of the most important things on the minds of Americans," said Joyce Russell, EVP and President of Adecco Staffing US. "Given how many people are still looking for work, it should be no surprise that this issue has the power to ultimately decide who will win the 2012 presidential election."

The survey also shows that Americans want the government's help in bridging the job skills gap. In fact, 64 percent believe the government should offer job seekers additional skills training or education. Americans also believe the U.S. government could be doing more to create jobs, with 66 percent of respondents saying the government should give incentives, such as tax breaks, to businesses. Only 4 percent believe the U.S. government is doing exactly what it should be doing to create more jobs.

Additional survey findings include:

Perception of Temporary Jobs is Improving:  According to the survey, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Americans view a temporary job more positively that they did last year. In fact, 86 percent of those surveyed believe a temporary job is a good career option for people looking to gain valuable work experience.

Congress and the Federal Government More to Blame for Lack of Jobs than President Obama: Though 21 percent of respondents fault corporations and businesses for the lack of jobs creation in the U.S., Congress and the Federal Government are not far behind with 18 and 15 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, only 14 percent of Americans believe President Obama is most to blame.

Some Optimism about Job Market:  In spite of economic uncertainty, 60 percent of Americans believe there will be more jobs available in 2012 than there were last year. 

Job Security Wins out over Perks for U.S. Workers:  Nearly a third (31 percent) of respondents said job security was most important to them—a noticeable increase compared to the 21 percent who felt this way in 2011. Job security is so important that 64 percent of Americans would consider leaving their current job if they had guaranteed job security. This is just slightly lower than those that would leave their job for increased salary or compensation (72 percent).

More Americans Plan to Speak Up about Raises, Promotion: Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of those surveyed plan to ask for a raise, bonus, or promotion in 2012, compared to 20 percent who said they had planned to do so last year. But it seems those plans went by the wayside in 2011: only half that number (13 percent) actually ended up asking for a raise last year. Regardless of whether or not American workers plan to proactively ask for a raise, bonus or promotion, there is optimism that they will get one, as 41 percent of respondents plan on getting a raise, bonus, or promotion in 2012. This is definitely positive thinking considering only 32 percent of Americans actually received a raise in 2011.

Workers Broadening Their Career Options in 2012: The survey shows that Americans are more open to working in different fields than they were in 2011. In fact, 68 percent of respondents said they'd be more willing to take a job in a field outside of their degree or study today than they would have been last year.

About Adecco Staffing US

Adecco Staffing US is the nation's leading provider of recruitment and workforce solutions. We are the pre-eminent workforce management partner for Fortune 500 companies and career advisement expert for American workers, serving all of the key industries and professions that drive our economy forward. Adecco has over 900 career centers and, on any given day, connects 70,000 talented workers to the best job opportunities across the country, making us one of America's largest employers. Please visit us at adeccousa.com.

About Adecco Group North America:

Every day we provide our clients with the talent they need, and help solve the business challenges they face today – and will encounter tomorrow. Our clients rely on us for a wide range of workforce solutions including:

• Contingent staffing and direct hire recruitment for large enterprise organizations across all skill sets
• Workforce solutions and consulting including Managed Services Programs (MSP) & Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
• Career transition and leadership consulting
• Specialty staffing, project solutions and consulting services

About the Adecco Group:

The Adecco Group, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is the world's leading provider of HR solutions. With over 29,000 FTE employees and more than 5,800 offices, in over 60 countries and territories around the world, Adecco Group offers a wide variety of services, connecting more than 500,000 colleagues with over 100,000 clients every day. The services offered fall into the broad categories of temporary staffing, permanent placement, outsourcing, consulting and outplacement. The Adecco Group is a Fortune Global 500 company.

Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN).

About Opinion Research Corporation International

ORC International is a leading global research firm with offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. We offer a platform of integrated intelligence that combines forward thinking methodologies, cutting-edge technology, skilled researchers and in-depth industry experience to provide clients with valuable insight to help solve their most pressing business challenges. The company is a founding member of the Council of American Survey Research (CASRO), and has been a partner of CNN on the CNN/ORC International poll since 2006. To learn more about ORC International, visit www.orcinternational.com

Survey Methodology:

This survey was conducted via telephone within the United States by Opinion Research Corporation International on behalf of Adecco Staffing US from January 12 – January 15, 2012 among 1,014 American adults ages 18 and older. Survey results have a margin of error +/- 3.08% for this sample size.

SOURCE Adecco