25 Mar 2010

Jobs still hard to find, survey indicates

6:41 am on 25 March 2010

Employment confidence has fallen slightly, with workers saying it's still hard to find a job, the latest survey reveals

The Westpac McDermott Miller employment confidence index fell less than 1 point to 103.6 in the three months to March.

A number over 100 indicates optimists outnumber pessimists.

Employees are more upbeat about their prospects over the coming year, though they trimmed expectations about job opportunities and job security compared to the previous quarter, while feeling more positive about higher earnings.

Westpac senior economist Donna Purdue says the lingering effects of the recession continues to weigh on employees.

She says there has been little job growth over the quarter, but anticipates it will pick up over the course of the year.