These are some of the key findings in Guild’s latest American Workforce Survey, a regular check of the issues, motivations, and opinions of American workers conducted by Guild.
Taken together, the results show an American workforce focused on the long-term. Workers are managing to costs, but more than that, they’re making down payments on their future. This is a workforce motivated more than ever by a path to career growth and economic stability.
With almost three out of four working Americans concerned about rising costs, they are changing overall behaviors and priorities:
are taking a proactive step to deal with rising costs. Among them:
· Looking for a new job
· Moving to an area with more growth
· Considering education and training programs to improve job qualifications
22% have focused more on proving they’re a valuable contributor at their job
Less than one-quarter of the American workforce surveyed are pursuing new opportunities for fear of losing their job:
said they were “very concerned” about layoffs and furloughs
Nearly as many workers said they’d had overtime or additional hours as had seen reductions in their hours:
16% have had to put in mandatory overtime vs. 18% who have had their hours reduced
of tech workers were at least “somewhat concerned” about layoffs or furloughs vs. 39% of non-tech workers
of tech workers know someone who has been laid off vs. 34% of non-tech workers
of healthcare workers said being in a growing industry was very or somewhat important to them
of healthcare workers said long term stability was very or somewhat important to them
of healthcare workers said it was very or somewhat important to them that their job provides education and training
were very concerned about being forced to work overtime due to staffing shortages
were “very concerned” about being laid off or furloughed
said working in a growing industry was very or somewhat important to them
said long term stability was somewhat or very important
said it was very or somewhat important that their employers provided education and training
The findings of the American Workforce Pulse survey tell a clear story of a workforce in motion, reacting to larger economic change. It is a workforce worried about costs and yet focused on taking actions to drive their own longer-term vision for growth and stability.
Alfonso, who works in financial services, embodies this dual track.
Alfonso is very concerned about the overall economy. At the same time, he has committed to making changes and shifted his priorities. Recently, he moved jobs in response to rising costs. His new role, says, offers him a “better trajectory and more options.”
“This opened up a huge window of opportunity for me,” he says.
Read Guild’s previous American Workforce Survey, “The New Up Or Out.”
The American Workforce Survey is a quarterly online survey of workers between ages 18-60 across the United States conducted by Guild Research. This quarter’s results include responses from 2,078 workers, weighted to represent the general population of workers based on age, gender identity, industry, and household income.
