The New York Employee Confidence Index decreased 7.7 points to 35.9 in December, 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 more workers are pessimistic about the strength of the economy, as well as job prospects and availability.

Results from the New York Employment Report:

- Eighty-four percent of workers believe the economy is getting weaker, an increase of eight percentage points from November.

- Eighty-one percent of those surveyed believe fewer jobs are available, a 13-percentage-point increase from the previous month.

- Fewer workers (33 percent) are confident in their ability to find a new job, a decrease of 13 percentage points from November.

"Our report this month is not surprising considering the current state of the economy. So as expected, our latest Employment Report Index declined, but the good news is there is recognition of a problem," said Linda Perneau, vice president and general manager of Spherion Staffing Services. "We are optimistic that the proposed economic stimulus from Washington may help recover some of the jobs in industries such as construction, manufacturing and financial services as we move further into 2009."