IT Workers’ Job Satisfaction Declines

Job satisfaction for IT workers ebbed in October just a month after hitting a two-year high, according to the Hudson Employment Index. The index is released monthly by Hudson, a New York-based recruitment firm.

The number of workers who pronounced themselves satisfied with their jobs dropped to 74 percent in October, down from 80 percent in September. Unease around job security helped undermine worker contentment: One in five IT workers said they worry about losing their jobs, a three-point increase since September.

Those in IT also felt less confident about the employment market last month. However, worker confidence is 2 points higher than it was last October.

Tim Bosse, EVP of Hudson IT & Telecommunications, cautioned against reading too much into the October decline.

“When you look at September with IT workers, it was a bit of a surprise at how high job satisfaction was,” said Bosse. He called the month-to-month decrease “minor” and said it showed satisfaction levels were moving back to normal.

In explaining the decline, Bosse said that October is when employers start thinking about the fourth quarter and the holidays. Decision-making on hires slows, which in turn has a negative impact on the confidence of job seekers.

Bosse said demand for IT workers “continues to be robust. We’ve had a lot of requests for our services.” He noted in October that more workers expected their company to increase headcount in the near future (36 percent compared to 34 percent in September). Meanwhile, the number of those who expect staff cuts dipped by three percentage points to 14 percent in October.

The Index, which measures worker confidence in the employment market, is based on monthly telephone surveys with around 9,000 US workers across all sectors. It tracks aggregate trends around employment such as hiring intentions, financial security, and job satisfaction.