Glassdoor’s Shaky Employment Confidence Survey
By Frances Chaves
Glassdoor’s 2013 Employment Confidence Survey suggests that the employment situation may be improving but people’s confidence lags behind.
- One in five employees fears they will be laid off in the next six months.
- Less than half (only 45%) of employees (including the self-employed) believe their company’s business outlook will improve in the next six months.
- 25% think that if they are laid off, it is unlikely they will be able to find a job in the next six months that matches their experience and compensation levels.
- 31% of the employed think it is unlikely they will be able to find a job in the next six months that matches their experience and compensation levels.
- Not surprisingly, the younger you are, the more optimistic you are that if you lose your job, you will be very or somewhat likely to find a new job in less than six months: 48% of those aged 18 – 34; 38% aged 35 – 44; 36% aged 45 – 54 and only 32% aged 55 and older.
We need to define “a job and define within that context the time frame. People are dangerously underemployed if not terminally unemployed. Employment should be defined as gainfully employed relative to the position, title and salary. Allowing for some considerations for the economic “depression” e.g lesser job content & responsibility and a 10%-20% decrease in compensation can be expected & accepted. The problem is: You won’t be made an offer once your prior employment history is confirmed with your prior employer. If it is believed that if you loose your job you will “be gainfully employed” within 6 months, I would like to know where is the data that supports this belief? If your lay off was within the 2008-mid 2010 time frame, you have been underemployed for 3-5 years, you are 5 years into a 10 year window for employment review by prospective employers, and therefore of no value for re-hire within your chosen career. If you were unable to design your future career over the last 5 years because you were working 80 hours a week to support your home & put food on the table, WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES at this point in time for “gainful employment? I’m stating some facts because it is important that this very large segment of collateral damage in our market & society today is recognized and believed. Again, it is about real numbers & data. Yes, some have found employment perhaps 2, 3 and 4 jobs during this time period, but not the healthy majority to support real economic recovery and health.