Despite economic woes, the New York Employee Confidence Index increased 5.2 points to 43.6 in November, 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, reveals that more workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, as well as the future of their current employer.

Results from the New York Employment Report

* Forty-six percent of workers are confident in their ability to find employment, an increase of 11 percentage points from October.

* Seventy percent of those surveyed are confident in the future of their current employer, an 11-percentage-point increase from the previous month.

* Since October, there was a slight increase in the number of workers (to seven percent) reporting their belief that the economy was getting stronger, an increase of six percentage points.

"Obviously the economy is facing some challenges as we close out 2008, but New York's report this month showed some encouraging signs with the Employee Confidence Index rebounding," said Linda Perneau, vice president of Spherion Staffing Services. "For the most part, companies are turning their efforts internally to retain their top talent, which may be a reason for the increase in workers feeling confident about their current employer. This is not a sign that jobs are not available, however, as stores began to stock up with seasonal merchandise, causing retail and transportation to add jobs."