The Hudson Employment IndexSM — which measures the U.S. workforce’s confidence in the employment market based upon monthly telephone surveys with approximately 9,000 U.S. workers — found that worker confidence among IT professionals increased in November to a 2006 high as the index rose 6.2 points to 115.8. Record low expected layoffs, improved sentiments regarding personal finances and decreased concern about job security spurred the increase. The latest reading is up markedly from last November up 14.8 points.

The index result also showed that hiring expectations remained fairly steady from the last month, edging down one point from 38% in October to 37% in November. However, only 14% of workers reported their company would be laying off staff, an all-time low for the IT Index and a five-point drop from October (19%).

The number of workers reporting that their finances were getting better rose three points from 48% in October to 51% in November, according to the findings. At the same time, the number of workers who reported their financial situation was worsening dropped from 30% in October to 27% in November.

Only 21% of workers were worried about losing their job in November, a four-point drop from the one-quarter of the work force expressing that worry in October.