The Randstad Office & Administrative Employee Confidence Index reported a slight gain in the fourth quarter 2014, rising to 55.0 from 54.4 in the third quarter. The survey, which measured overall confidence among U.S. office and administrative professionals, was conducted online among 403 workers in this industry by Harris Poll on behalf of Randstad. The results are indicative of information collected during October, November and December of 2014. 

During the fourth quarter, 32 percent of office and administrative workers said they believed the economy was getting stronger, a rise from 28 percent in the third quarter. However, workers displayed waning confidence in job market conditions as fewer expressed optimism in their ability to find a new job (37% down from 39% in third quarter) as well as in the increased availability of jobs. Less than one-quarter (22%) of workers felt there were more jobs available, a three percent decline from the previous quarter. 

Similarly, less than 4 in 10 (37%) said they were confident in their ability to find a new job over the following 12 months, compared to 39 percent in the previous quarter. Perhaps due to lower confidence levels in employment prospects, office and administrative professionals were the least likely among all professions surveyed to entertain the idea of changing jobs. More than 6 in 10 (61%) said they were not likely to look for a new job over the following 12 months. Very few workers felt it was likely they would lose their job involuntarily, with only 1 in 10 (10%) stating they felt it was likely. 

"Although most office and administrative professionals felt confident in their personal employment situation, the fundamental shifts in the modern day office technologies and new ways of collaboration will require workers within this industry to evolve their skills in order to remain marketable," said Traci Fiatte, Group President of Randstad Staffing. "Social applications, web conferencing and cloud computing are just a few of the investments companies are making in order to promote collaboration and productivity." 

According to the International Association of Administrative Professionals, many companies are investing in collaborative tools, like social apps for work and web conferencing, at a rapidly growing rate. These tools are expected to increase overall efficiency by decreasing the use of antiquated systems, such as email, which 44 percent of administrative professionals cited as the greatest obstacle to efficiency. Other technological investments, such as cloud computing and web-based applications, have contributed to a 90 percent decline in the cost of office technology since 2002. Because utilization of more efficient technological systems has proven to drastically reduce costs, more companies will likely adopt these new technologies which will require key administrative staff to be proficient in using and managing these emerging platforms. 

Q4 2014 Highlights: 

Confidence in Job Availability Declined Slightly

• Less than one-quarter (22%) of workers believed more jobs were available, a slight decline of three percentage points from 25 percent in the third quarter. 

Job Security Levels Remained High

• Seventy-six percent expressed confidence in job security by stating it was not likely they would lose their jobs over the following 12 months, a six percentage point increase from the third quarter. 

Fewer Workers Were Likely to Seek New Employment

• Little over one-quarter (28%) of workers stated they were likely to look for a new job over the following 12 months, a decline from 33 percent in the third quarter.

Confidence in Ability to Find New Jobs Remained Relatively Unchanged

• Thirty-seven percent of office and administrative professionals said they were confident in their ability to find new jobs, a two percentage decline from the third quarter.