One in five employees are worried about losing their job, according to the latest Employee Outlook Survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The survey also shows in the public sector this figure rises to 31%, up from 25% last quarter, while in private and voluntary sectors, redundancy expectations have held steady at 17% and 22% respectively, compared to 17% and 23% in the last quarter.

Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser, CIPD, says: “With employees feeling the pinch financially, concerned over their job security and with fewer opportunities to move up or move on, employers need to deliver consistently high quality leadership and management on the front line. How managers communicate, consult and coach and develop staff is critical.

“If organisations don’t invest in developing high performing managers, they may find better managed competitors racing past on the road to recovery. Employers need to find cost-effective ways of equipping their line managers with the people management skills to support employee engagement and wellbeing.

“Many leading organisations in both the public and private sectors are already prioritising improving people management capability and employee engagement as they recognise this is central to gaining competitive advantage.”