The most recent numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for February 2009 tell a familiar story with unemployment rising to 8.1% - a 25-year high. What the numbers do not reveal is the toll this tightened job market is having on the American workforce, not only on a professional, but also a personal level.

In the most recent American Workplace Insights Survey coming from Adecco Group North America, the world's largest recruitment and workforce solutions provider, the majority (73%) of U.S. workers said they believe the highly debated American Recovery & Reinvestment Act will reach some success in forming the 3.5 million jobs it is forecasted to create. This confidence shows that workers are hopeful that the stimulus might help their financial health. Additional findings indicate it could stand to help physical and mental health in the workplace as well, as 1 in 5 workers report the economic distress having a negative impact on their mental health, 12% on their physical health and another 34% reporting an increase in their overall stress level at work.

Additional survey findings include:

Compensation shifts with economy: Almost half of workers (47%) anticipate their compensation staying the same or decreasing this year.

Unemployment Rising, Saving Is Not: Given the state of rising job and compensation losses, it's surprising that a small number of workers (15%) are actively saving for unemployment.

Morality At Risk: Over 1/4 of the workforce (28%) said they would take measures to keep their jobs (including potentially blaming co-workers for mistakes, taking credit for other's work, etc.), showing the importance of careers in worker's lives.

Generation Y Still Learning: Significantly more Gen Y workers (41%) indicated they would take questionable measures to keep their jobs as compared to Generation X workers (28%), Baby Boomer workers (22%), and Silent Generation workers (17%).

"It's clear that economic uncertainty can lead to a lot of uncertainty in American workers' lives, impacting their productivity, confidence, happiness, health and overall well being," says Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer of Adecco Group North America. "However, it must never weaken the importance of acting morally and ethically regardless of the economic environment. Employers need to lead responsibly in creating a positive work environment and helping to manage the level of stress and anxiety workers are facing. Today's leaders should focus on actively engaging and informing their teams of how the company is faring and being as visible as possible during the current economic volatility. Managers need to be very clear about expectations regarding honesty and integrity at work."

Adecco Group North America provides the following tips for employees to reduce stress in the workplace and remain committed to providing their best work each and every day in the office:

Take Your Time & Stay Focused: Work days go by quickly and often workers feel they are playing catching up from start to finish. It's important for employees to complete their work with care and diligence. Often more time is wasted fixing mistakes in a project than what it would have taken to complete it carefully at the start. Be sure to always pay attention to detail and effectively balance priorities.

Keep the Office Atmosphere Light-Hearted: Each employee should make an effort to maintain the professional atmosphere of the office, while keeping it an open and free-thinking place. Allowing humor and creativity to shine through allows everyone to feel comfortable, do their best work and be as productive as possible.

Avoid Procrastination: A majority of workplace stress is caused by imposing deadlines. Work with your team to avoid procrastination pitfalls before they pop up. Plan projects ahead and adjust your time accordingly. Use digital tools - shared calendars, project planners and other scheduling resources to your advantage to form timelines and set goals for your team. This also helps to make realistic time predictions for future projects.