Survey: 61 Percent of Employees Worry about Job Loss

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magnifying glass on red JOBS text According to a recent survey from the University of Phoenix,® more than 60 percent of working adults (61 percent) worry about losing their jobs in today’s economy and one-in-five (20 percent) think about this at least once a week. Nearly 1 in 10 think about it at least once per day.

The survey of 1,600 working adults also showed that 44 percent of respondents identified how the current economic climate has affected their work performance, careers and/or job decisions. Of those reporting economic climate performance affect, 34 percent said they are less likely to disagree, speak up, and they have avoided looking for a new job.

“In a challenging economic environment, workers should be doing more to position themselves as leaders in their organizations, but the survey finds that many are holding back at work, and this can have a negative effect on performance and productivity,” said Dr. Sam Sanders, college chair for University of Phoenix School of Business. “Individuals may feel it is best to maintain the status quo and not draw too much attention to themselves, but this can send the wrong message and affect the individual’s personal career growth. Those who understand the big picture and how their own skill sets help their companies achieve goals should have more confidence and can have an advantage in the workplace.”

The survey also showed which cities have residents who are more prone to worry:

  • New York City (78 percent)
  • Chicago (60 percent)
  • Dallas-Ft. Worth (55 percent)
  •  San Francisco (41 percent)

On the other end, the survey showed the percentage of workers in large cities who never worry about losing their jobs. The results were:

  • San Francisco (59 percent)
  • New York City (22 percent)
  • Los Angeles (36 percent)
  • Atlanta (38 percent)

The majority of workers from each age group worry about job loss, yet results showed that those age 55 and older (51 percent) are significantly less likely to do so compared to their younger counterparts ages 18-34 and 35-44 (both 63 percent) and ages 45-54 (67 percent).

By Shala Marks