In 1994, the National Social Science Survey asked a representative sample of 750 employed people how secure their jobs were. The results are illustrated below. Only 12% felt quite sure, although another 45% said that there jobs were probably secure. However, 21% indicated that they felt that their jobs were not secure, and another 22% took a neutral stance.
Some further questions added to the picture. When asked whether the companies for which they worked were secure, 19% said no, and another 23% took a neutral stance. 32% of the sample said they could be fired or made redundant at any time.
The picture has changed substantially in recent times. In 1989, a similar question was asked. At that time, 20% of employed people said their jobs were definitely secure, and another 53% said they were probably secure. In other words, nearly three-quarters of the work-force felt reasonable secure in their jobs. In five years, the percentage feeling relatively secure has dropped from 73% to 57%.

Who feels secure?

Full-time workers generally feel much more secure in their work than do part-time workers. This is the single most important difference in the community. As more work is out-sourced, both by private companies and government organisations, so the sense of job security decreases.
Workers in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations feel much less secure than people in other occupations.
Despite the cuts in state public service in 1994, in general, government employees felt more secure than people in the private sector. Two years later, as the Coalition government discusses cuts in many areas, it is likely that, in many areas of Federal government service, the previous levels of confidence have declined.
Overall, when other factors were taken into account, such as the fact that men were more likely to have full-time work than women, men felt less secure in their jobs than their female counterparts.
Evans and Kelley note that education does not make any difference to the sense of job security. While education remains a factor in getting a well-paid or interesting position, these jobs are not necessarily secure.

Does job security make a difference?

Another surprise is that age does not make any difference to the sense of job security. It was thought that the restructuring would have made two classes of workers: young workers without security, and older people clinging to secure, predictable jobs. This does not appear to have happened when looking at the total scene. Rather, there are less secure jobs for all people in the community, and the problems of insecurity are spread among all age groups.
There are some people who have suggested that many people will not be very concerned with job security. Most people keep an eye open for jobs that offer them a better income. Most are anxious to keep moving.
However, further analysis of data from the 1994 National Social Science Survey showed that job security was closely linked with job satisfaction. Those who felt secure in their jobs also felt much more satisfied with them. The only other factor which came as close in relating to job satisfaction was ‘occupational status’. Those people who had jobs which demanded thinking, planning and responsibility were more satisfied with their work than were other people.

Philip Hughes

Article based on information in M.D.R. Evans and Jonathan Kelley, ‘Job Security’ in the series, Worldwide Attitudes, 11th September 1995.