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More than 80 percent of American workers worry about something job-related

Eighty-one percent of American workers are currently worried about something when it comes to their job and, high gas prices is the number one concern, according to Adecco USA's latest Workplace Insights survey. High gas prices beat out a stagnant paycheck and work-life balance which took second and third place respectively and were tied for the top spot in Adecco's 2007 Labor Day survey.

Regardless of these worries and recent increases to the national unemployment rate, only a small number of workers (25 percent) claim to currently be saving for unemployment with the majority (58 percent) having no intention to start putting money aside for potential job loss.

Worker worries look very different in 2008 than they did in 2007, with the recent economic uncertainty causing a shift in concerns. According to the 2008 survey, workers are worried about:

• High gas prices (25 percent in 2008 vs. 12 percent in 2007)
• Stagnant pay checks (13 percent in 2008 vs. 16 percent in 2007)
• Work-life balane (12 percent in 2008 vs. 16 percent in 2007)
• Rising cost of healthcare (nine percent in 2008 vs. 12 percent in 2007)
• Job market (seven percent in 2008 vs. four percent in 2007)
• Opportunities for advancement (six percent in 2008 vs. 12 percent in 2007)
• Outsourcing of jobs (four percent in 2008 vs. three percent in 2007)
• Other worries (five percent in 2008 vs. six percent in 2007)

Feelings of appreciation still strong. While the vast majority of Americans continue to feel appreciated at work (75 percent), this number has significantly dropped from 2007 when a separate question was asked that found that 91 percent of those polled felt they were very/somewhat and appreciated at the office.

Unemployment savings vary. Although most American workers aren't currently saving or planning to save for unemployment, the number varies depending on your age and location. For instance, Gen X workers (21 percent) are more likely than Baby Boomers (14 percent) to say they are planning to start saving for possible unemployment. Also, workers in the South are more likely to save than those in the Northeast (47 percent vs. 36 percent respectively).

"It's clear that our current economic uncertainty presents real worries to American workers," said Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer for Adecco USA. "While Labor Day is an important holiday to step back and celebrate the hard work and achievements of our workforce, it should also serve as a call to action for employees and their employers. Workers need to think about how they can best prepare and position themselves for success in the current marketplace and employers who are focused on retaining their top talent should implement ways to show their appreciation and ease the concerns weighing on the minds of their staff."

Adecco recommends the following three ways to minimize worker worries and increase feelings of appreciation for your staff:

1. Be open and honest. Feelings of uneasiness are largely due to workers not feeling informed or appraised of what's happening to respond to the current business environment. Employers should communicate frequently and be as transparent as possible to calm these concerns.
2. Listen, listen, listen. Don't assume to know what's really worrying your workforce. Be active in gaining the feedback of your staff whether it be through issuing a survey, town hall discussion or one-on-one conversations. Hear them out and develop your plans based on their feedback.
3. Institute quick wins. Are gas prices the top issue? Think about offering the ability to work from home or providing top performers with the occasional gas card to show your appreciation. Is work-life balance the biggest concern? Provide more flex-time and formalize your offerings.

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