Drop in perceived redundancy risk

The number of UK workers who believe they are at immediate risk of redundancy has halved from 6% in January 2013 to just 3% in October, according to the latest Job Security Index from Legal & General. This gives a glimmer of hope for a more positive outlook for workers as we approach the New Year, despite the fact that confidence in job security is still low.

Confidence in job security during 2013 is down by 6% compared to 2012, (October 2012, 78% and October 2013, 72%) and the number of workers who believe their current job is secure, so are not actively seeking other jobs, is also down by 6% when compared with the same time last year – from 33% in October 2012 to 27% in October 2013.

Male workers are more confident than female workers, with nearly three quarters, (74%) of men confident about their job security, compared with 70% of women – based on the latest results in October 2013. Male workers have also seen a 2% increase in confidence over the course of the year, with 72% of male working adults saying that they were confident about their job security in January this year, compared to 74% in the most recent Job Security Index results.

So although confidence in job security in 2013 has on average been 2% lower than 2012 across the year, the workers surveyed believe that the pressure on their job security has actually eased. With workers starting to feel slightly more positive, this could mean that the outlook for job security in 2014 could be more promising than that experienced in 2013.

Mark Holweger, Director at Legal & General’s general insurance business said: “2013 has been a tough year for workers across all sectors, and this has had a knock on effect on workers’ perceptions of their job security – with confidence levels in their job security across the board lower than last year.

“However, the latest ONS data suggests that there are more people in jobs, so workers’ actual employment situation is improving. This may be the glimmer of light that is needed to see confidence in job security improve more in 2014.”

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