Methodology
This June 2009 Spherion Employment Tracker was conducted online within the United by Harris Interactive on
behalf of Spherion Corporation between June 2 and 4 and June 9 and 11, 2009 among a U.S. sample of 2,771
employed adults, aged 18 years and older (May 2009 n=2,579). Results were weighted as needed for age, sex,
race/ethnicity, income, education and region. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for
respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of
error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error
associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey
weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are
misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for
pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published
polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris
Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population.
Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online
research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
June 2009