Confidence among U.S. finance and accounting workers spiked nearly 10 points in the 2nd quarter to 63.1, the highest since 2007, according to Randstad’s Finance and Accounting Employee Confidence Index.
Another Randstad index showed engineers, too, are more confident about the future, and, of all the groups regularly surveyed by the global HR firm, engineers are the most confidant about their ability to find another job if they choose.
Randstad, a staffing, search, and HR services firm, quarterly surveys workers in engineering, accounting and finance, and healthcare to assess their sense of economic well-being, and their perception of job trends in their field. The surveys provide a snapshot of their confidence about the future. Because of how the surveys are conducted, and the sample size, the results are more suggestive than conclusive, but they do suggest how confidence is trending.
Among accountants, overall confidence increased 9.7 points from Q1 to a six-year index high. It’s the highest confidence level among all the industries tracked by Randstad. Only engineers came near, registering 61.9 on Randstad’s Engineering Employee Confidence Index. That was an improvement of 7 points over the Q1 index.
However, 62 percent of engineers are confident about finding another job, while only 42 percent of accountants feel that way.
Healthcare workers, despite the bull market in employment, declined slightly in their overall confidence, registering 54.3 in Q2 vs. 54.5 in Q1.
Here’s a quick look by industry at other results:
Healthcare
- Workers were unchanged in their confidence about finding work; 54 percent said they were optimistic about their job prospects. The same as in the previous quarter.
- 20 percent said they believe more jobs are now available, down 1 point from Q1.
- 26 percent say the economy is getting stronger, up 4 points.
- 30 percent say they are likely to look for another job this year, up 4 points.
Engineering
- Confidence in find a new job took an 11 point jump in the quarter, with 62 percent of the survey respondents expressing optimism about their new job prospects.
- 35 percent said jobs are more plentiful, up 14 points.
- 40 percent say the economy is getting better, also up by 14 points.
- 33 percent are likely to look for another job, down 3 points.
Accounting and Finance
- 42 percent say they are confident they could find a new job if they wanted, down 7 points.
- 31 percent said jobs are more plentiful, up 11 points.
- 42 percent say the economy is getting better vs. 30 percent saying that in Q1.
- 38 percent expect to look for another job, up 1 point.