An America Bereft of Job Security

Despite recent signs that the nation's economy may be beginning a turnaround, employed Americans are working scared. In a new poll by Harris Interactive and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 47 percent of respondents who were fortunate enough to have jobs said they are concerned about losing their jobs. That's quite a figure. Close to half of employed Americans are worried about being laid off.

Eleven percent of respondents said their top financial concern was losing their job--compared with 4 percent who cited the same in last year's survey.

While more respondents were worried about retirement, that's been the case for the past two years, the AICPA reports. Any workplace expert will tell you that some level of anxiety among workers is actually a good thing. These concerns reflect the reality of a deteriorated job market and uncertain timeline for recovery. Too much anxiety is paralyzing, but a realistic attitude should help workers be better prepared. The problem is--that perfect balance is incredibly tough to strike, and many employers are lousy at helping workers keep up productivity and creativity while they face the possibility of layoffs.