One
in three workers believes Britain is heading for a recession and more fear
unemployment will rise, according to a new survey.
A
poll of 1,000 workers by HR consultantcy Chiumento finds 20 per cent believe
they are at risk of losing their job, and almost a quarter of those surveyed
said their company is already cutting back on staff.
Forty
per cent said they believed unemployment would rise during the next year and 29
per cent believed the sector they work in is declining.
In
the past 12 months almost 40 per cent had experienced redundancy directly or
through close friends or family.
Forty-four
pent cent said they now view redundancy as a fact of life, but 45 per cent
still claim they are worried how they would make ends meet next year.
Senior
and middle managers are feeling the most unsure about their future – 20 per
cent said they were worried about their job, while just 14 per cent of junior
employees felt at risk.
Chiumento’s
managing director Richard Chiumento said: "The UK is now a service rather
than a manufacturing economy so the days of regular mass layoffs among blue
collar workers are gone.
"The
mass layoffs affect a whole range of more senior employees, from highly
qualified call centre staff to city bankers."
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More
than a third of those surveyed say they would look on redundancy as providing a
fresh start to their careers.
