More Americans feel confident about their jobs, survey finds Americans are more upbeat about their job prospects and fears of being laid off are subsiding, a new survey shows. Workers' confidence in the U.S. job market hit a record low after the financial crisis and recent recession, but results of the 2012 General Social Survey indicate an uptick in optimism. The percentage of Americans who said it would be somewhat or very easy to get a job if they lost their current position increased to 54% last year from 46% in 2010, according to the survey. In 2012, 11% of adults said it was somewhat or very likely they would lose their job, down from a record high of 16% in 2010. Experts noted that this increased confidence in the job market could help boost the economic recovery. Layoffs have declined, but hiring remains sluggish in many sectors. Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department said claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to about 339,000. At the height of the financial crisis in 2009, jobless claims went as high as 670,000. The General Social Survey, conducted every two years, asked nearly 2,000 adults last year about their financial situation and outlook on the job market. Hot housing markets getting frothy, report says Insurers see a way to dodge federal healthcare law In KPMG insider-trading case, crime and blunders alleged