Although 73 percent of workers believe the economy is getting weaker, the majority of workers (52 percent) say they are confident in their ability to find a new job, down only one percentage point from March.

Employee confidence declined 0.3 point to 46.2 in April, decreasing for the ninth consecutive month and reaching a new low. The Spherion Employee Confidence Index survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, reflects workers' continued pessimism about the economy and job availability. Although 73 percent of workers believe the economy is getting weaker, the majority of workers (52 percent) say they are confident in their ability to find a new job, down only one percentage point from March.

In addition, 65 percent of workers express confidence in the future of their current employer, an increase of two percentage points. Seventy-eight percent feel it is unlikely they will lose their current job, an increase of one percentage point from March.

Workers' optimism regarding job availability and their likelihood of looking for a new job remains unchanged since the previous month. Specifically, 12 percent say there are more jobs available and 35 percent say it is likely they will look for a new job in the next 12 months.

"This month's continued decline in confidence reflects the countrywide pessimism about the current state of the economy. Once again, this month's data show workers are still confident in their own employers and bullish on their own job security," said Roy Krause, president and chief executive officer of Spherion Corporation. "Over the past ten years, our studies have shown us that workers maintain high levels of personal confidence in their skills and abilities which they believe will buffer them somewhat from an economic slowdown.

"Also, while overall job growth has decreased over the past nine months, it's important to note that certain sectors continue to add jobs," Krause continued. "In the technology sector, for example, employment shot up more than 12 percent, with companies adding about 376,000 IT jobs. There are now 3.8 million IT jobs and we expect to see continued growth throughout the year."

"In fact, the unemployment rate for professionals across many industries remains relatively low at approximately two percent, meaning that employers will continue to have a difficult time finding talent for open positions. However, many employers believe they now have the upper hand in the war for talent. The reality is that talent shortages remain in nearly every sector and region and the situation will only get worse in the years to come. The most innovative employers are using this time to focus on strategic planning, talent development and becoming an employer of choice. That way, they're better able to take advantage of opportunities now, as well as being in a good position to react quickly and strategically when the economy begins to improve."

Results from the April Spherion Employment Report:

Confidence Level Lowest to Date: The Spherion Employee Confidence Index declined for the ninth consecutive month, decreasing 0.3 point to 46.2 in March. The Index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the macroeconomic environment, reveals that more workers are concerned about the economy and in the availability of jobs in April.

Details of the Index:

-- Twelve percent of U.S. adult workers believe there are more jobs available, unchanged from the previous month.

-- Seventy-three percent of workers reported that the economy is weakening. Just five percent of workers believe the economy is getting stronger, a drop of one percentage point from March.

-- Sixty-five percent of U.S. adult workers feel confident in the future of their current employer, an increase of two percentage points from March.

-- The percentage of U.S. adult workers confident in their ability to find a new job decreased one percentage point to 52 percent in April.

-- Seventy-eight percent of U.S. workers believe that it is unlikely that they will lose their jobs in the next twelve months, an increase of one percentage point from March.

-- Thirty-five percent of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next twelve months, unchanged from last month.