April 22, 2009
4/22: Nearly 1 in 4 Anticipate Job Loss
Nearly 1 in 4 employed Americans — 22% — believe it’s likely they will join the ranks of the unemployed or have their hours cut this year. Among those who are most fearful are women. 26% of women in the workforce believe there is a good chance they will be laid off while 19% of men think it’s likely they will get a pink slip this year.
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Where Americans work makes a difference. Employees in the Northeast are least concerned about their future employment status. Just 10% of those residents think it’s either very likely or likely that they will lose their job this year while 27% of those in the Midwest, 25% in the West, and 24% in the South share this concern.
Table: Are you likely to lose your job?
How Long Will It Take to Find a New Job?
Should they lose their job this year, many employed Americans think it will take some time before they will be back to work. Only 38% of workers think they would be able to find a comparable job with similar pay within three months of losing their current job.
Not surprisingly, older co-workers nationwide are less optimistic about their job prospects than are their younger colleagues. Only, three in ten workers 45 and older believe they would find a new position within three months compared with 45% of those younger than 45. One-third of workers 45 and older believe it would take at least a year to find a comparable position should they lose their current job.
Table: How long will it take to find a new job?
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