The Rasmussen Employment Index, a monthly measure of U.S. worker confidence in the employment market, rose for the third straight month in May.

At 66.7, the Employment Index is up two-and-a-half points from April and up five points from March. Typically, a rise in the Employment Index suggests that the government report on job creation will be stronger than the month before.

However, worker confidence is still down eight points from May 2008.

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Seventy-six percent (76%) of workers say they are happy with their jobs, showing no change since April. Just 17% reported being unhappy in their current employment situation.

More than one in four workers (28%) says they are worried about losing their job, compared to 27% in April. Last September, only 20% of workers were worried about losing their jobs.

In May, 15% of workers said their firms were currently hiring while 29% say their companies are laying workers off. This is eighth straight month in which the number of firms laying people off is higher than the number that are hiring.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of workers say their personal finances are in good or excellent shape, while 21% rate their finances as poor.

Nearly a quarter (23%) say their finances are getting better, but 46% say they are getting worse.

The Discover Consumer Spending Monitor this week also shows a modest increase in May.

Separate Rasmussen polling finds that half of adults (50%) think it is possible for anyone living in America who wants to work to find a job. The same survey shows that while 42% Americans think the economy will be stronger in one year, of 58% say it will be stronger in five years.

The Rasmussen Employment Index is based upon telephone interviews with approximately 9,000 employees each month. Results are released on the Tuesday preceding the government report on employment.

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