58 percent of laid-off employees are back in jobs

New York: Despite the tough job market in the U.S., there might be some hope for job seekers there, with a survey showing that nearly six in ten workers laid off in the last year have landed new jobs, reports Business Standard.

According to a report by online employment firm CareerBuilder, about 58 percent of those laid off in the last 12 months have secured new jobs. "Despite one of the most competitive job markets in decades, nine in ten workers say that they have not given up on their job searches, and the amount of workers who have found work is clear that their drive and determination are paying off," said CareerBuilder (North America) President Brent Rasmussen.

The survey was conducted among over 1,000 workers who were laid off within the past one year. About 51 percent of respondents said that they have found full-time work since being laid off, which is a three percent increase from June 2009 and seven percent of employees said that they have found part-time work.

Further, over half of those who secured new jobs found work in a different field than where they were previously employed. "The number of laid-off workers who have found new full-time and part-time jobs rose in the last six months. Although this good news reflects a healing economy, it also shows that job seekers are exploring career options in new industries and locations," Rasmussen added.

Also, about 61 percent of workers found jobs with comparable or even higher wages than the job they were laid off from. Laid-off workers used every technique possible to secure new positions. The survey revealed that 22 percent of them found their new roles through referrals, while another 22 percent said that they got new jobs using online job boards.