The SFN Group Inc.'s (NYSE: SFN) employee confidence index increased 1.7 points to a reading of 52.8 in January. The index, which measures workers' confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, reveals for the second consecutive month that more workers believe the economy is getting stronger, with four in 10 workers also reporting that they are likely to make a job change in the next year.

"Employees have begun 2011 with greater confidence than we have seen in nearly a year," said SFN Group President and CEO Roy Krause.

 
Some findings from the report, include:

*More U.S. workers believe the economy is getting stronger. Specifically, 29 percent believe so, an increase of four percentage points from December, according to the index's survey.
*Fifty-seven percent of workers believe there are fewer jobs available, dropping two points from the previous month.
*Sixty-one percent of workers are confident in the future of their current employer, an increase of one percentage point from the previous month.
*Fewer workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, with 42 percent reporting confidence. This is a dip of one percentage point from December.
*More workers believe it is unlikely that they will lose their jobs in the next year. Specifically, 71 percent believe it is unlikely versus 70 percent in December.
*Four in 10 workers are likely to look for a new job in the next year, representing an increase of four percentage points from the previous month.

The survey included a sample of 1,192 employed adults.