The outlook among American workers as measured by Randstad’s US employee confidence index was little changed and remained high in the fourth quarter. The index edged down slightly to a reading of 61.6 in the fourth quarter from 61.8 in the third quarter, remaining near record high since the survey’s inception in 2004.

The index measures workers’ confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism about the economic environment. It’s based on a survey of 2,024 employed US workers conducted in October and December.

Randstad reported 34% of workers believe more jobs are available and 55% indicate they are confident in their ability to find a new job.

“There is no question the battle for talent will grow in 2016 as the labor market continues to tighten,” said Jim Link, chief HR officer, Randstad North America. “This year, the big story will be wage growth and potential minimum wage increases. Although we’ve seen moments of improved wage growth, the big picture shows wages have been stagnant for most workers over the last many years. For minimum wage workers, despite efforts to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour, it remains to be seen if it will come to fruition. However, we already see many states and cities taking matters into their own hands and raising minimum pay rates. In fact, 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, and nearly two dozen cities and counties have set their own higher minimum wages.”