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Working in the Post-Recession Workplace Equals Heavier Workloads and Longer Workdays, CareerBuilder.com Survey Shows

Labor Day 2002 Finds Workers Attempting to Cope with the New Realities Of the Post-Recession Workplace

CHICAGO, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers in today's post-recession workplace are struggling to survive. Demands placed upon workers has resulted in increased workloads, longer workdays and rarely a break from the routine of work, according to CareerBuilder.com's "Life at Work" survey. The CareerBuilder.com survey included more than 1,400 survey respondents.

After months and months of layoffs, many organizations are attempting to do the same amount of work as they managed to do last year; however, the volume of work is taxing the capacities of an already compressed staff. Not surprisingly, more than one-third of workers reported an increase in their workloads in the past 6 months.

"Since Labor Day 2001, layoffs have touched the majority of workers in the workforce, either indirectly or directly," said Dawn Haden, a senior career advisor at CareerBuilder.com. "Because of the impending threat of a layoff, actual or implied, workers are getting the job done and making themselves appear indispensable. This has resulted in longer hours and heavier workloads."

Despite the workplace innovations of flextime and 4-day workweeks, the majority of workers spend 40 hours or more working 5 days a week on the job. Arriving to work early does not guarantee the possibility of leaving work early or on time. Thirty-nine percent of those who arrived at work early stayed late. Of those who stated that they arrived on time, 30 percent stayed late. With more than two-thirds of workers scheduled for a 5-day workweek, 46 percent reported that they work 40 hours or more as compared to 42 percent as measured in a CareerBuilder.com survey conducted in October 2001.

In the post recession workplace, the lunch hour is a misnomer: half of workers surveyed spent 45 minutes or less at lunch and 35 percent took 30 minutes or less for lunch. Sixty-seven percent stated that they did not leave the company premises for lunch. Instead, these workers ate in a designated lunch area, took a break in their work area or ate while working.

Forty-five percent of workers indicated that they were dissatisfied with their pay and more than one-third was dissatisfied with opportunities for career advancement. "Once the economy shows solid signs of improvement, the balance of these workers will be poised to seek another opportunity," commented Haden.

The Survey
The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Life at Work," was conducted from July 11 to July 18, 2002 of more than 1,400 survey respondents. To collect data for The Survey, CareerBuilder.com commissioned SurveySite to use an e-mail methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite Web Panel were randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to participate in the online survey. The results of this survey are accurate within +/- 2.5 percent.

About CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder is a leading online source for maximizing recruitment dollars and optimizing job searches with superior products, customer service and technology. With a unique combination of national, local and niche audiences, CareerBuilder makes it easy for recruiters to reach the most qualified candidates with industry-leading market research data and support. Job seekers can search for the right job from more than 400,000 continuously updated postings, representing more than 25,000 of the top employers in virtually every industry, field and location. In partnership with Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB) and Knight-Ridder Inc. (NYSE: KRI), CareerBuilder includes the Web's top newspaper sites - the most trusted employment sources in recruiting. For more information About CareerBuilder products and services, call 888-670-TEAM or visit CareerBuilder at http://www.careerbuilder.com.

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com