UK workers are among the least confident in the world about the future of their jobs, despite rising optimism in the rest of the global workforce, according to research.
The latest bi-annual Global Career Confidence Index, by HR consultancy RightCoutts, has found that almost a quarter of UK employees believe that there is a chance they will be made redundant in the coming year, the highest percentage of all countries questioned.
In addition, more than two-thirds of UK employees believe that if they were made redundant, they would find it difficult to find alternative employment of a similar grade.
Out of a perfect confidence score of 100, the UK’s overall career confidence index stands at only 50.3 points compared to an all-time high of 54.6 for workers worldwide.
UK workers have suffered from a 2.4 point fall in confidence since May – the sharpest drop in the world alongside the US, which experienced a similarly steep fall from its three-year high in the last survey.
Jo Bond, managing director of RightCoutts, said: “The recent economic downturn in the UK, coupled with increased employment and operational costs, means that a decrease in UK career confidence is not a surprise.
“While the situation might look gloomy at first glance, UK workers need to remember that our economy is actually in a much stronger position than many of our global peers.
“UK organisations need to maintain the morale of employees and ensure that this economic slump doesn’t lead to reduced retention and productivity in the workplace.”
