Employee and job-seeker confidence improved across job security, financial status and career advancement during the first quarter, according to first-quarter Talent Pulse Report survey data released Feb. 5 by global staffing firm Vaco.

The report found that 43% of job seekers reported extreme confidence in securing and holding a job in the first quarter, up from 41% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and unchanged from a year ago. 

However, 29% of respondents reported a lack of confidence in their ability to secure and retain a job currently, down from 32% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

“Job seekers must demonstrate agility, prioritize continuous learning — particularly in emerging fields like AI — and remain flexible in adapting their skills,” Kyle Allen, executive VP of sales and recruiting at Vaco, said in a press release. “By doing so, they position themselves as proactive, future-ready candidates in an increasingly competitive job market.” 

Other findings include:

• Confidence regarding financial improvement opportunities also increased this quarter, with 44% of respondents being extremely confident in their ability to improve their financial situation over the next six months, up from 41% in the fourth quarter.
• Meanwhile, 31% of workers remained somewhat confident and 25% said they did not feel confident about improving their finances, down from 30% in the fourth quarter. This marks the second-lowest percentage reported since Talent Pulse Report’s inception nearly two years ago.
• Nearly half of employees surveyed, 47%, expressed extreme confidence in their ability to advance their career in the first quarter, up from 44% in the fourth quarter but down from 50% year over year.
• Twenty-four percent of workers reported a lack of confidence in their ability to advance their careers in the first quarter, down from 28% in the fourth quarter. While their confidence is up from the 20% result in the year-ago quarter, Vaco noted the first-quarter result is the second-lowest percentage recorded since the report’s inception.

Allen noted that employers are also focused on retaining top talent, emphasizing that offering competitive compensation alone is no longer enough.

“Savvy job seekers seek companies that offer robust career development programs with clear paths for advancement, alongside initiatives that consistently recognize and reward exceptional performance,” Allen said.

Vaco surveyed 13,080 professionals across the US and Canada working in engineering, technology, accounting, finance, human resources and operations. The survey was conducted on Vaco’s LinkedIn company profile on Dec. 20, 2024; Dec. 27, 2024; and Jan. 3, 2025.