According to the Randstad Office & Administrative Confidence Index, overall sentiment among workers in this sector declined from 55.9 in the third quarter to 47.6 in the fourth quarter of 2013. The survey, which measures overall confidence among U.S. office and administrative professionals, was conducted online among 356 office and administrative professionals by Harris Poll on behalf of Randstad.

Office and administrative workers expressed lower levels of confidence in the strength of the economy, with just 17 percent believing the economy is getting stronger, declining 17 percentage points from the previous quarter. Also, fewer office and administrative workers believe more jobs are available, with this belief falling eight percentage points to 13 percent in the fourth quarter. Still, job security among these employees remained high with the majority (70%) saying it is not likely they will lose their jobs in the coming year.

"As we head into 2014, we expect confidence levels to increase as the demand for office and administrative workers continue to rise," said Phyllis Finley, Executive Vice President at Randstad US. "In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow twelve percent from 2012 to 2022. Within our own business, we are seeing demand rise for administrative professionals with accounting experience, specifically with accounts payable and accounts receivable capabilities. We are also seeing companies require more industry specific knowledge when looking for the right fit. It is certainly a good time to be an office and administrative professional."