Dive Brief:

• An online survey of office and administrative employees, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Randstad US, found those employees tend to be optimistic when it comes to the U.S. economy.
• The Randstad Office & Administrative Employee Confidence Index (ECI) rose 2.9 points from year-end 2014 to reach 57.6 in mid-year 2015, representing the second straight wave of increased ECI among this group. The survey measures workers’ perceptions regarding the overall strength of the economy, availability of jobs and personal employment prospects.
• Mid-year 2015 results indicate confidence levels among employees in this sector are rising—in fact, more than 1 in 3 employees (35%) say they believe the economy is getting stronger, and more than 1 in 4 employees (28%) believe there are more jobs available.

Dive Insight:

Traci Fiatte, Group President, Randstad US, says that given the vital role office and administrative professionals play, her firm believes job security will continue to remain very high for these workers.

She notes that employer needs and expectations are changing, however, so it’s important to note that as the business landscape continues to evolve, professionals within this sector also need to evolve and adapt at the same pace. After all, she adds, these aren’t the same jobs they were 30 years ago.

For employers, due to increased confidence in employment opportunities, nearly 3 in 4 employees (74%) from this segment feel it is unlikely they will lose their jobs over the following 12 months. The good news for employers who employ a large number of office and administrative pros, despite high confidence in the economy: more than half (52%) say it is unlikely they will look for another job over the following 12 months. Additionally, more than 6 in 10 employees (62%) say they are confident in the future of their current employer.