Looking back over 2006, the average Hudson Employment Index SM, which measures the workforce's overall confidence in the employment market, fell in four of eleven major U.S. cities. Minnesota-St. Paul showed the steepest drop of 8.6 points in 2006.
Worker confidence across all seven industry sectors, as measured by the Hudson Employment Index SM, rose throughout 2006, with the largest gain among African American workers.
Looking back over 2006, the average Hudson Employment Index SM accounting and finance workers was 110.2, 2.6 points stronger than the 2005 average measure of worker confidence in the employment market.
Looking back over 2006, the average Hudson Employment Index SM for African-American workers was 95.7, 5.6 points stronger than the 2005 average of 90.1.
Throughout 2006, the Hudson Employment Index SM for healthcare workers recorded an average reading of 105.7.
Throughout 2006, the average Hudson Employment Index (SM) for IT workers was 109.6, 2.8 points higher than 2005’s average of 105.8.
For its inaugural year, the Hudson Employment Index SM for the legal sector recorded an average reading of 110.5 in 2006.
On average in 2006, the Hudson Employment Index SM for manufacturing workers was 91.1. It recorded its highest reading of the year (97.4) in August, and the very next month, dropped to 2006’s low of 86.1.
The yearly average for Hudson Employment Index SM for Atlanta rose 11.9 points to 114.0 in 2006. For the majority of the year, the Index readings ranged between 114 and 116.
Hudson Employment Index SM for Boston workers in 2006 was 98.6 and remained virtually unchanged from the 2005 average. It was, however, notably lower than the 2004 average of 102.7.
The average 2006 Hudson Employment Index SM for Chicago was 95.3, compared to 2005’s average of 92.1.
The average reading for the Hudson Employment Index SM in Dallas was 109.1 in 2006, 3.4 points higher than in 2005 (105.7).
The average Hudson Employment Index SM for Los Angeles in 2006 was 104.0, a mere .2 points lower than in 2005.
The average Hudson Employment Index SM reading for the Twin Cities in 2006 was 95.8, 8.6 points lower than in 2005.
The average Hudson Employment Index SM for New York City was 87.1 in 2006, 1.7 points lower than 2005’s average (88.8).
In 2006, the average Hudson Employment Index SM for Philadelphia workers was 97.2, almost three points higher than in 2005 (94.4 points).
In 2006, the Hudson Employment IndexSM for San Francisco averaged 100, more than 15 points higher than in 2005 (84.7).
The average Hudson Employment Index SM for Tampa was 1.6 lower in 2006 (113.8) than in 2005 (115.4).
The average Hudson Employment Index SM for Washington, D.C. was 114.4 in 2006, 3.6 points up from 110.8 in 2005.
U.S. workers are quite optimistic about their job prospects and the employment market for 2007, as nearly eight in ten (78 percent) expect the situation to be as good as, if not better than, this year.
