Study: Job cuts could send aftershocks

[OhioChick]

Source: Columbus Business First

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 2:14 PM EST

As U.S. job cuts continue to rise, employers will need to prepare for the aftershock on their remaining personnel, a new survey data from a research and consulting firm suggests.

Sirota Survey Intelligence said the effects could include heightened job insecurity among workers, more stress and less teamwork. Such effects were evident after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when the government reported the highest number of mass job cuts since it began collecting such data.

In September 2008, mass job cuts – defined as reductions of 50 or more jobs – reached their highest level in seven years with 2,269 events recorded that month, compared with 2,407 in September 2001. October numbers haven’t been released.

The Purchase, N.Y.-based Sirota examined the attitudes of nearly 500,000 employees in 2000 before the reductions and in 2002 after the cuts to discern the effects on employees remaining behind. Among its findings:

• The share of employees who felt secure in their jobs fell to 61 percent in 2002, from 69 percent in 2000.

• Two-thirds in 2000 said they felt they were valued and were considered an important part of the company. That dropped to 44 percent in 2002.

• Only four in 10 employees in 2002 favorably rated cooperation and teamwork among departments, down from 69 percent in 2000.

• More than one-third of employees in 2002 felt too much work was expected of them, up from 28 percent in 2000.

• Nearly half of workers said in 2000 that they were confident in opportunities for advancing with their employers. That optimism plunged to 39 percent in 2002.




Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/11/10/daily14.html

[annabanana]

1. "could"?

How could they NOT?

[FarLeftRage]

2. After I lost my job 3 weeks ago,

I realized that they no longer value my work for them...

[Omaha Steve]

3. How much has inflation chaged the value in the song....

Brother could you spare a dime?

[Omaha Steve]

7. Chaged?

Spell check. Anyone? Anyone?

[OhioChick]

8. Test....

Changed.

Spell check worked for me, Steve. Someone has it out for you! :)

[skooooo]

4. More than anything..

..this makes me really sad. People are having a hard time.

[KoKo]

5. And, the Real Estate Bubble Bush created eased pain after "9/11" for awhile...but then

he dropped the last shoe bomb on us as he walks out the door. Truth be said...employees have not been "valued" since Reagan and Bush I where thousands of "middle managers" in banks and industry were laid off in their late 40's because it was felt they could "down size" to be more productive. Now it's worse. It's going to be a hard time..because Bush II sort of finished off what Grover Norquist and his ilk wanted to see happen. Problem was the Government and Cronies got bigger as the money went to the top 1%...and they didn't quite see it working that way in that fashion.

We will get through it, somehow. The scum is out the door and all they have left is "Caribou Barbie."

We have to rebuild it all. And, we will...even if it doesn't look very good for many of us right now, we a least have a chance at having a Government that finally cares about us.

[OhioChick]

6. Your last paragraph made me tear up....

Things are so bad for me right now.....and it gave me hope. Thank you for that.

[12string]

10. Hope

Hang in there OhioChick.I was at the point where I was certain America's demise was a foregone conclusion.I now think there is a chance to reverse some of the damage done.At my age (53),and health issues,I don't expect monumental changes affecting my station in life,but I do believe things will lighten up within the next two years.What I hope is that Obama,in the next eight years,can foster fundamental change in the collective conscious of America.Then I will be more at peace knowing that my children will have the opportunities they deserve,and a return to a freindlier social atmosphere.The hate that started with Reagon will hope fully end with this administration.

[Maccagirl]

17. You summed up my perspective perfectly

I'm 52, so I don't expect my life to ever get back to where it was-but I voted for Obama for my great-nephew and great-niece(beautiful children) so that their future is better. I owe them that.

[OhioChick]

19. Thanks for your kind post.

I'm just so worn out with worry, I'm going to give myself a heart attack. My company got bought recently, took away our health care plan. I now pay close to $1500/month, with a chronically ill child. Pay cuts upon pay cuts, the constant worry that my job will be outsourced, one kid in college, etc. etc. etc. I see all of my neighbor's homes going through foreclosure and am a paycheck away from it, myself. Things are just so bad.....for nearly everyone.

Hearing of "Hope and Change" just brought tears to my eyes, as it is something so desperately needed right now.

:hug:

[peacetalksforall]

9. We can't let down all the young and those who were cynical about voting. And

we have to lift ourselves up. I pray that the dark forces of Cheney Bush torture death theft will be replaced with hope and growth. I never thought I would be living like this and this frightened.

[Azlady]

11. I know the road ahead is going to be rough but I now have hope

there is light at the end of the tunnel for many of us. Are you like me? Are you tired of living in fear? We have hope now and the fear is less.
Hang in there everyone, change is coming.
Azlady

[Hannah Bell]

12. duh. & think of it, the people giving you this earth-shattering info - get paid for it.

[Hannah Bell]

13. i was watching tv, someone got some award from "the caring institute" for being

"the most caring person" of 2007 or whatever.

the people at "the caring institute" have jobs too.

my cousin the snack food distributor, though, is laid off, as is my neighbor, the welder. my cousin the realator hasn't sold a house in a year. several friends have lost mass amounts in their 401ks.

how fucked is our economy?

[KillCapitalism]

14. Obama had better bust his a$$ to alleviate unemployment.

We are seriously going to need government works projects to get people employed again. It seems like we're on our way to 25% & beyond unemployment like we saw in the 1930's. If Obama & congress does not act, things are going to get real nasty, crime will skyrocket and we will have civil unrest that will make the 1960's look tame.

[BR_Parkway]

16. Except that now we've convinced everyone that the only decent jobs

are office work that requires a 4 year degree minimum - and somehow devalued our blue collar workers in the process.

I'm not sure who's going to actually want to work on things like building bridges

[KillCapitalism]

18. I'm sure a lot of people would line up to build bridges.

Just check this thread out:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4438115

Unemployment is MUCH higher than the government and media want you to believe.

[Skittles]

15. I know how it feels