Americans Still Fret about Money, Jobs
Economic and job issues remain high on workers’ worry lists, especially for younger workers, according to a poll by The Hartford.
A news release said 55% of respondents listed personal financial concerns as the issue giving them the most stress, followed by 43% listing the state of the U.S. economy, and 27% citing the fear of being laid off.
The number one spot remained the same as last year, but the economy moved from fourth place last year to second place this year. The job-loss worry jumped to number three with a 16% hike over 2008 results, The Hartford said.
Meanwhile, work issues dropped 12%, going from third place to fourth place in the list of worries.
Generational Concerns
While every age group had increased concerns about their job, Generation Y (ages 18 to 29) appeared to be the most fretful, according to The Hartford. While fear of losing one’s job registered across all generations and genders, Gen X (ages 30 to 44) and Gen Y had the biggest increases in 2009 results.
“This is the first time that Generation Y has experienced these types of economic and career issues. They are concerned about their job security and are addressing their layoff concerns by staying in the workplace more this year,” said Marjorie Savage, absence management director in The Hartford’s Group Benefits Division.
The survey, carried out online by Opinauri in April, polled 1,019 U.S. adults age 18 to 64. The generational breakdown of survey participants was: 283 Gen Y workers, 290 Gen X, and 446 Baby Boomers (ages 45 to 65).