Boston — Aug. 12
Confidence among U.S. finance and accounting workers hit a high in the second quarter, spiking nearly 10 points from the previous quarter and reaching levels not seen since before the recession.
The current index score is the highest since third quarter 2007, according to The Mergis Group Finance and Accounting Employee Confidence Index. Employee outlook among finance and accounting workers on job security also hovered 10 points above the national average.
Each quarter The Mergis Group releases its index that measures overall confidence among U.S. finance and accounting workers. The study, which surveyed 173 U.S. finance and accounting workers aged 18 and older in April, May and June also found that these workers’ outlook on the economy is brightening.
In fact, finance and accounting employees believe that the economy is getting stronger, a 12 percentage point increase from the previous quarter, to 42 percent. The Index encompasses employee attitudes and sentiment around the economy, job market, job security, employers and in their ability to find a new job.
Survey Highlights:
Forty-two percent of finance and accounting employees believe the economy is getting stronger, rising 12 percentage points from the first quarter of 2013. The number of finance and accounting workers who believe the economy is getting weaker took a steep, 16-percentage-point drop, from 32 percent in first quarter 2013 to 16 percent in the second quarter.
About 31 percent of finance and accounting employees believe more jobs are available, rising eleven percentage points from the previous quarter.
Forty-two percent of finance and accounting workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, slipping seven percentage points from the previous quarter. However, the number of workers who say they are not confident that they could find a new job decreased by 11 percentage points from 26 percent to 15 percent.
Nearly 40 percent of finance and accounting workers say they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, increasing just one percentage point from the previous quarter. More than half (56 percent) say they are not likely to job search, rising three percentage points from the previous quarter.
Source: The Mergis Group
