The Return of Job Confidence

How far have we come as a nation in terms of our economic confidence? Gallup's latest survey suggests that Americans are significantly more secure in their jobs than they were just four years ago.Among the findings of Americans' employment fears in 2011 versus 2015:

• Benefits will be reduced: 44 percent vs. 34 percent
• I’ll be laid off: 30 percent vs. 22 percent
• My wages will be reduced: 33 percent vs. 20 percent
• Hours will  be reduced: 30 percent vs. 19 percent
• Jobs will be sent offshore: 13 percent vs. 9 percent

“This could be a positive sign that Americans see their lives returning to the way things were in the early 2000s, although not quite all the way," Gallup said in the study. "Or it could be that workers now see conditions as a new reality after the Great Recession and thus not a cause for worry.”