Workers in the U.S. are feeling less confident about their jobs, finances and future career growth than at any point since the early months of the pandemic, according to LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence survey.
The survey, which measures worker sentiment on a scale from -100 to +100, found that overall confidence fell to +24 in February, down from +33 in January. That marks the lowest level since the data was first collected in April 2020, when the index stood at +29.
Confidence has steadily declined since its peak in January 2022, when it hit +41. The index reflects how workers feel about job security, career progression and financial outlook.
Of particular concern is financial confidence. Workers’ belief in their ability to improve their financial situation over the next six months dropped to +15 in February — a new low. That’s even lower than April 2020’s score of +16, when the economy had largely shut down and unemployment surged.
The drop in sentiment comes amid a cooling job market, shifting economic policies and growing uncertainty about the impact of artificial intelligence on employment.
