The New York Employee Confidence Index increased 1.4 points to 43.0 in April, according to the latest Spherion(R) Employment Report. The monthly survey of New York workers, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of Spherion Corporation, indicates that fewer workers believe the economy is getting weaker, however, fewer workers are confident in their ability to find a new job.

Results from the New York Employment Report:

- Forty-six percent of workers surveyed believe that the economy is getting weaker, a decrease of 26 percentage points from March.

- Fewer workers, 36 percent, report that they are confident in their ability to find a new job, an 11-percentage-point decrease from the previous month.

- Two-thirds of workers (66 percent) are concerned about losing their job, a decrease of eight percentage points from March.

"It is very encouraging to see that workers' overall confidence continues to increase, despite the fact that job losses are still mounting, not only in New York but across the nation," said Linda Perneau, vice president and general manager of Spherion Staffing Services. "As the stock market continues to recover and companies are showing signs of stabilization, it seems that workers are becoming less concerned about the overall employment situation. Obviously, the main priority now is seeing a pick-up in hiring, which according to some media reports, may not be far off."