14 DAY TRIAL // In the context of the economical crisis worldwide and Obama’s presidency, Yahoo! HotJobs made an online survey concerning the Americans’ job security in the near future. According to the search engine, 1 in 3 Americans is quite anxious about losing his/her job and the rest have high hopes in finding one this year. The survey reveals that only 6% of the respondents consider that Obama will help improve the job market in the near future, while 25% of them aren’t so sure about his impact on the employment opportunities.
The results of the survey show that workers who are over 55 are not so concerned about their jobs, maybe due to their experience in the field, whereas those between the ages of 26 and 54 fear the most in this regard. The experienced workers seem to be the most satisfied with their jobs, compared to those under 45 years of age.
Tom Musbach, managing editor of Yahoo! HotJobs, said in a press release that, "The job market, not unlike the economy, ebbs and flows, and older members of the workforce are relying on that wisdom to bring them comfort during a particularly challenging time." He also mentioned that, "Their experience can benefit job seekers everywhere as they face a market that is contracting now but will rebound over time. Meanwhile, staying focused on job-search basics – such as nurturing one's professional network and keeping an updated resume – can help stem anxiety and prevent a career from stalling in 2009."
The survey revealed that 73% of those who are really anxious about their job security said that they were updating their resumes, applying for jobs and exploring a career switch, while 30% of the respondents were extending their skill sets, with 10 % posting their CVs on job boards.
"There is no silver bullet for people who are concerned about their job security so they should be employing a broad range of job-search best practices to ensure finding the right next job," Musbach mentioned. "A successful job seeker will do more than just apply for jobs found online. It's important to talk to people in your personal and professional network about opportunities that may not be found online and to post an updated resume on job boards so recruiters can find the candidates they are looking for. After all, what was once a job seeker's market is now an employer's market, so it's best to play both offense and defense," he added.
Through this survey, Yahoo! HotJobs explored workers’ trust in Obama as the president of the U.S. and his power to overcome the economical crisis as fast as he can. As such, 21% of the respondents think that Barack Obama will lead them out of the difficult situation that has installed all over the world, but it may take some time. 29% of the respondents to the questionnaire believe that, in a few months, the crisis will be over, at least in USA, whereas 15 % of them don’t put that much trust in Obama’s policies and abilities to help improve their way of living and, of course, the U.S. economy. Six percent actually believe that he will make a difference on the job market very soon and 25% aren’t too sure about his impact.
The survey reflects that healthcare employees are the most relaxed when it comes to their job security, while those who work in manufacturing/operations are the most anxious in this regard. Therefore, only 6% of the healthcare respondents indicate that they are concerned about their jobs, followed by those working in government and military segments (8%). Only 2% of the education/training employees feel anxious about their job security, whereas 5% are very doubtful about the job market. On the opposite side, those with jobs in manufacturing and operations, 27% of them, to be more exact, are insecure about their jobs. Moving on, 23% of the workers in the construction and facility sectors are uncertain about their current jobs, while 21% of those who work in retail and 20% of those in technology departments seem to be very anxious concerning the job market.
"Healthcare is a recession-proof sector, and one that is growing, making workers more confident in their futures. Positions in this strong section of our economy are not limited to those requiring professional medical degrees, so people with all types of work experience should investigate the jobs that are available within the healthcare industry," Musbach said. The data used in the survey were collected from more than 940 professional offices from all over the United States via an online questionnaire on the Yahoo! and HotJobs networks. The respondents represent all 50 states of US, and the results show only the opinions of the workers who chose to participate in the survey.