Despite recession fears and stock-market jitters, confidence is high among the UK workforce.
According to Jobsite.co.uk – seven in ten (67%) workers are confident in their ability to remain in or get a job; with close to half (47%) planning to move jobs this year to increase their pay packet.
However, although UK workers are remaining optimistic about their job prospects and aren’t concerned over job-security, redundancy or pay cuts, the economic climate is still playing on their mind with rising inflation (18%) and soaring interest rates (17%) keeping them awake at night and encouraging them to go in search of better pay.
In fact, new recruits changing jobs this year are set to increase their salary by an average of £750 (three per cent on average), with two fifths (43%) gaining more than £1,000 and a quarter (28%) more than £2,000 - leaving Gordon Brown’s public sector cap of 2% in the shade.
Yet the research reveals how the credit crunch and increasing living costs are influencing the way people spend their earnings. Following a pay rise, workers are most likely to make bigger mortgage repayments (32%) and pay off their credit card debts (15%).
Keith Potts, Chief Executive of Jobsite.co.uk said, “Traditionally recession is associated with decreased job security and in previous economic downturns many workers have been worried about losing their jobs. However, it seems that UK jobseekers are still feeling optimistic about their future job prospects and are even looking to improve their salaries.
“In fact data from the office of national statistics shows that despite fears of recession, the UK is seeing its highest levels of employment and job vacancies since records began in 1971.
“This is true at Jobsite where we’re consistently seeing at least 45,000 new jobs posted each week, proving that recruitment is still high – especially in our key sectors such as sales, IT and engineering. With so many opportunities out there it’s good that the majority of workers are still confident about job hunting and for those that are staying put in a job where they’re unhappy this should help to provide the reassurance that there are still plenty of opportunities out there.”
(Courtesy The People Bulletin)