v Employment charity Work Avenue is reporting a big increase in positivity and prosperity among its clientele, based on the results of its annual survey.
Whereas barely a quarter of respondents last year described themselves as feeling positive or neutral about their work situation, the figure from the latest poll was 68 per cent.
Fifty-eight per cent felt optimistic about their career or business for the year ahead (up from 36 per cent) with only 16 per cent pessimistic (down from 28 per cent).
More than a third reported that their financial situation had improved (last year, just ten per cent said that was the case).
Given the surge in remote working over the past two years, the charity included a question on working patterns for the first time.
Of those respondents currently in employment, almost two-thirds said they were working remotely all or some of the time. Asked whether they preferred home working to being in an office, the response was split down the middle.
Unchanged from last year was the level of concern over mental health, with half those surveyed saying their mental wellbeing had been impacted by job and business stresses during the pandemic.
Work Avenue CEO David Arden hailed the overall results as a “very encouraging step forward. They reflect the prevailing mood within the jobs market in the country as a whole.
“Work Avenue is continuing to advertise a record-breaking number of job vacancies and the team is working tirelessly to support individuals into work.
“Although there seems to be a positive outlook in terms of the economy, the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic continues to have a detrimental impact on people’s lives and, in particular, their mental health.
“That’s why we ensure all our employment and business advisers are mental health first aid [MHFA] trained and therefore well placed to support clients into finding a new job, retraining for a new career or setting up a new business while being cognisant and supportive of the challenges they may be facing.”
Placements manager Yael Solomons added that the findings “reflect the balance both employers and employees now face when looking at work patterns.
“Half of those we spoke to want to work from home, favouring the flexibility it allows and feeling it more efficient for work.
“The other half preferred the office environment, saying that being with colleagues and having the right conditions meant a better output.
“There is certainly a very buoyant market for job seekers at the moment, which is so welcome for our clients.
“We are finding that many are able to negotiate terms that mix office and home working when they start a new role — the best of both worlds.”
