Back to work

According to an updated survey by CareerBuilder, 51% of workers who were laid off in the last three months have found new full-time or part-time positions. This is up from 44% of workers who said the same in a November 2009 survey.

The CareerBuilder survey was conducted nationwide among more than 900 workers who were laid off within the last 12 months.

"As consumers and businesses grow more confident in the economic outlook in the U.S., hiring managers are beginning to add new staff at an improved, but cautious pace," Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, said in a statement. "More than half of workers who were laid off in the first quarter have already found employment, primarily in full-time positions. Not only is this a positive indicator for the labor market, it also shows that job seekers are being resourceful in their job hunts and are open to different types of opportunities."

OTHER SURVEY FINDINGS
• Of workers laid off in the last three months and found new jobs, nearly 40% reported they were able to negotiate comparable or higher pay for their new position. 61% of workers took a pay cut.

• 57% of workers laid off in the last six months have been re-hired by their former employer who laid them off from their jobs.

• Seven-in-ten (71%) of workers who were laid off in the last six months and have not found jobs would be willing to work for their former employer. Of these workers, 22% indicated that they would only return to their previous workplace if their employer offered them more money.

• 64% of workers who were laid off in the last six months and landed new jobs said they found work in a different field than where they were previously employed. More than half of them (55%) reported they really enjoy their new positions.

• The majority of laid-off workers (63%) who found new jobs in the last six months plan to stay with their current employers when the economy turns around. 37% plan to change employers once market conditions improve.

• More than four-in-ten (46%) workers who were laid off in the last six months and found jobs relocated; the vast majority (93%) moved to another city versus another state. Of those laid off in the last six months and still looking for employment, 42% reported they would consider relocating for a job opportunity.

• 32% of workers who were laid off in the last six months and have not found jobs are considering starting their own businesses.