The Spherion Employee Confidence Index decreased 2.6 points to 40.1 in February. The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals that fewer workers are confident in their ability to find a new job and fewer are optimistic in the future of their current employers.

"There is no doubt that the impact of the economic situation is far-reaching," said Roy Krause, president and CEO of Spherion Corporation. "With month-over-month job losses continuing, more businesses entering bankruptcy and key retailers reporting disappointing results, our latest Employee Confidence Index indicating dwindling confidence is not surprising. In fact, the February Conference Board's confidence index dropped to its lowest level since 1967. Until the American people begin to see some stabilization in foreclosures, layoffs and other key economic indicators, it is possible that overall confidence will continue to suffer. That being said, with a higher regulatory environment likely heading into businesses across the country, I anticipate that the need for highly skilled lawyers and accountants will rise. In addition, as the new administration focuses on healthcare, energy, technology and education, companies will need dedicated support to fill these critical positions."

A Look Inside the Report:

Confidence in Overall Situation:

The Spherion Employee Confidence Index fell 2.6 points to 40.1 in February from 42.7 in January. The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals that fewer workers are optimistic about their ability to find a new job and in the future of their current employers.

Confidence in Macroeconomic Environment:

* Only six percent of workers believe the economy is getting stronger, down from seven percent in January. At the same time, 70 percent believe the economy is getting weaker, up from 67 percent in January.

* Seventy-nine percent of U.S. adult workers believe there are fewer jobs available, an increase of three percentage points from the previous month.

Confidence in Personal Employment Situation:

* Sixty-three percent of U.S. adult workers feel confident in the future of their current employer, down four percentage points from January.

* The percentage of U.S. adult workers confident in their ability to find a new job decreased four percentage points to 38 percent in February.

Job Security:

* Seventy-one percent of U.S. workers say it is unlikely they will lose their jobs in the next year, decreasing one percentage point from January.

Job Transition:

* Thirty-three percent of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next year compared to 34 percent in the previous month.

Confidence by Gender:

* The percentage of female workers reporting that the economy is getting weaker increased six percentage points to 74 percent In February.

* More male workers believe job availability decreased month-over-month. Specifically, 78 percent of male workers believe fewer jobs are available compared to 73 percent in January.

* When asked how confident they are in the future of their current employer, 62 percent of males and 63 percent of females responded that they are confident. This is down from 66 percent and 67 percent, respectively, last month.

Confidence by Age:

* For the third consecutive month, workers between the ages of 18 and 34 years old are the most likely to look for a new job in the next year, with 48 percent reporting that they are likely to do so. Only 26 percent of workers age 45-54 are likely to job search in the next 12 months.

* Forty percent of workers age 45-54 are confident in their ability to find a new job - the highest across all age groups.

* Responses across all age groups decreased for the survey question on worker confidence in the future of their current employer. Out of all age groups, workers between 35 and 44 years old reported the biggest decrease in optimism, with 57 percent reporting optimism compared to 66 percent in January.

Confidence by Income:

* Forty-three percent of workers earning less than $35K are likely to look for a new job in the next year, compared to 27 percent of workers earning $75K and over.

* Eighty-two percent of workers earning $75K and over believe fewer jobs are available, compared to 72 percent of workers earning less than $35K.

* At the same time, although workers earning $75K have more doubts about job availability, they are also more confident than all other income groups in their ability to find a new position.