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Tech workers optimistic about job prospects

Alorie Gilbert CNET News

Published: 07 Jan 2005 08:55 GMT

While job confidence slipped across the United States last month, tech workers are feeling more upbeat about their employment prospects, according to a new survey.

Released by staffing firm Hudson Global Resources on Thursday, the survey indicates that job confidence among information technology workers rose by 6.9 points in December to 116.3 -- fuelled by workers' belief that hiring is up and layoffs are abating.

"Of all the industries polled, IT workers are the most optimistic about their personal finances," Hudson said in its report.

The upswing in tech workers' outlook is a reversal from last month. After hitting an index high of 120.8 in October, job confidence in that sector slid 11.4 points in November, Hudson had reported.

In December, 37 percent of IT workers surveyed expected their employers to add staff, up from 33 percent in November. Just 23 percent were worried about losing their jobs, down from 26 percent the previous month.

By contrast, job confidence across all sectors of the economy fell by 1.3 points in December, hitting a low point for the year, according to the Hudson Employment Index. Hudson's findings are based on telephone surveys with about 9,000 US workers in major cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York and San Francisco.

A separate report on Thursday from online job advertiser Monster.com buttressed the Hudson findings, indicating that employers posted fewer job ads on the site in December. The Internet firm said its December employment index fell to 113 from 117 in November and that 19 out of 23 occupations saw a decline in demand for workers in that period.

Both reports came a day before the US government is expected to release its monthly employment statistics.