Accounting and Finance Worker Confidence Is Mixed

Accounting and finance employees are feeling less confident in the economy and the job market, but optimism about their own personal employment situation has increased, according to a new survey.

The Accounting and Finance Employee Confidence Index, a measure of overall confidence among U.S. accounting and finance workers, increased 0.6 points to 53.9 in the third quarter of 2010, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Mergis Group, the professional placement division of SFN Group.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, showed that 23 percent of accounting and finance workers believe the economy is getting stronger, representing a 10 percentage point drop from the second quarter of 2010. Sixty percent of accounting and finance workers believe there are fewer jobs available, up 10 percentage points from the previous quarter.

On the other hand, 73 percent of accounting and finance workers are confident in the future of their current employer, an increase of 11 percentage points from the second quarter of 2010. More accounting and finance workers also are confident about their ability to find a new job, with 44 percent reporting confidence as compared to 36 percent the previous quarter.

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