Spherion Employee Confidence Index Remains Near High in February

• Employee Confidence Index Decreases 0.1 Point in February
• Workers’ Confidence in Economy and Job Market Unchanged
• Eight in 10 Believe Their Jobs Are Secure

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 9, 2007 — The confidence level of U.S. workers was largely unchanged in February, according to a recent survey of 4,022 working adults. The Spherion^® Employee Confidence Index, a monthly gauge of overall worker confidence, decreased by 0.1 point to 60.4 in February, the second highest level seen since the survey began in July 2004. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive^® on behalf of Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN), revealed that workers’ feelings about the economy and job market remained steady, but slightly fewer were confident in the future of their current employer.

Nearly one quarter (24 percent) of workers believe the economy is strengthening and 28 percent believe that there are more jobs available, both unchanged from January. At the same time, 65 percent of workers are confident in the future of their current employer, a one-percentage-point decrease from the previous month.

In addition, 80 percent of workers also say that they don’t feel their jobs are in danger of being eliminated in the next year, increasing one percentage point and matching the highest level recorded since 2004.

“For all practical purposes, we’re seeing the same level of confidence among the U.S. workforce that we saw a month ago,” said Roy Krause, president and chief executive officer of Spherion. “This is interesting news considering recent concerns regarding the country’s economic performance. The latest confidence numbers indicate that workers are still experiencing a very positive employment situation and have few concerns about their current situation.”

Krause continued, “Today’s report from the government, showing the creation of 97,000 jobs, was on target with many economists’ predictions and should do nothing to significantly change workers’ positive sentiment.”  

Results from the February Spherion Employment Report:

Employee Confidence Index: Overall Worker Confidence Decreases Slightly
The Employee Confidence Index was 60.4 in February, reflecting a 0.1-point decrease from January. The Index, which measures workers’ confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the macroeconomic environment, decreased slightly as fewer workers expressed confidence in the future of their current employer. The Index is 2.5 points higher than the level reported in February 2006.

• Macroeconomic Confidence Index Unchanged: For the second consecutive month, the Macroeconomic Confidence Index was 45.9 in February. The Index showed no change as worker optimism in job availability and strength of the economy remains at the same level reported in January. The Index level is 3.8 points higher than a year ago.

Specific findings from the Macroeconomic Confidence Index include:

• 28 percent of U.S. adult workers believe that more jobs are available, showing no change from January
• 24 percent of U.S. adult workers believe the economy is getting stronger, unchanged from January

• Personal Confidence Index Declines Slightly: Decreasing for the first time in two months, the Personal Confidence Index fell 0.3-points to 74.9 in February as slightly more workers were concerned about the future of their current employer. The Index is 1.2 points higher than the level recorded in February 2006.

Specific findings from the Personal Confidence Index include:

• 65 percent of U.S. adult workers feel confident in the future of their current employer, compared to 66 percent January
• 60 percent of U.S. adult workers have confidence in their own ability to find a new job, showing no change from January

Job Security Index: Percentage of Workers Confident in Job Security at Highest Level Since 2004

• Matching its highest level recorded since the survey began, 80 percent of the U.S. workforce believes that it is unlikely that they will lose their jobs in the next 12 months. The Job Security Index is two percentage points higher than the level reported one year ago.

Job Transition Index: Percentage of Workers Planning to Search for New Job Increases Slightly

• The Job Transition Index increased one percentage point to 36 percent in February. The Index is three percentage points lower than the level reported in February 2006. 

About the Spherion Employment Report
As part of the Spherion Emerging Workforce^® Series of employment surveys, the monthly Spherion Employment Report provides a snapshot of the latest workforce trends across the country and is issued in conjunction with state and national labor market releases. Three key indices are measured: the Spherion Job Security Index, which captures how likely respondents think it is that they will lose their job or that their job will be eliminated in the next 12 months; the Spherion Job Transition Index, which captures how likely respondents are to look for a new job in the next 12 months; and the Employee Confidence Index, which measures employees’ overall confidence in the economy, the future of their employer, the availability of jobs, and their ability to find other employment. The Employee Confidence Index is based on these four components, with a ‘score’ calculated for each by taking the difference of the percentage of positive responses and the percentage of negative responses. These four scores are then averaged to indicate an overall level of employee confidence scaled from 0 (no confidence) to 100 (complete confidence). A reading above 50 indicates a positive confidence level.

Methodology
The February 2007 Spherion Employment Report is based on data from the Harris Interactive QuickQuery^SM online omnibus conducted monthly by Harris Interactive on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 4,022 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, was interviewed in a series of two polls conducted between February 5 and 7 and February 12 and 14, 2007 (January 2007 n= 4,121). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting adjusted for respondents’ propensity to be online.

With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 4,022 U.S. employed adults, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- 2 percentage points. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Spherion
Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.

With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to more than 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing 375,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America’s largest employers. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. For up-to-date career tips and trends, visit Spherion’s career blog, The Big Time^SM, at www.spherion.com/careerblog.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what could conceivably be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online, visit http://go.hpolsurveys.com/PR.