Spherion Corp.'s (NYSE: SFN) employee confidence index rose 2.9 points to 48.3 in May as fewer U.S. workers believed the economy was getting weaker.

"It is definitely encouraging to see our latest overall employee confidence index closer to the level reported this time last year. Despite this good news, clearly there are still lingering concerns about the economy and job market," said President and CEO Roy Krause. "While many economists expect the U.S. jobless rate to surpass 10% by the year's end, we are still seeing demand for skilled talent, especially in the professional services sector."

The index's survey found that 38% of workers believe the economy is getting weaker, an improvement from the 46% in the April. And, among other findings in the survey, 42% of workers reported confidence in their ability to find a new job, up four percentage points from the previous month.