More than 3.3 million workers are not confident they will still be in their job in a year’s time, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Trades Union Congress.

Workers in Wales are the least confident of keeping their jobs. A fifth of workers in Wales said they were ‘not very confident’ or ‘not at all confident’ when asked how confident they were of continuing to work for their current employer over the next 12 months.

Scottish workers are next, with 17% not confident of keeping their jobs. Workers in the east of England are the most optimistic. Only 7% are not confident of being in their job in a year’s time. They are followed by workers in London, Yorkshire and the West Midlands where 12% lack confidence in being in their jobs in a year.

Workers in medium-sized businesses are the least confident with 18% of staff in those with 50 to 249 workers saying they are not confident of being in their jobs in a year, compared to 12% in big workplaces of more than 1,000 employees.

Those in low paid jobs are less secure than those in better paid jobs. The least confident about keeping their job earn between £10,000 and £15,000 and the most confident earn more than £50,000.

Union members were more optimistic than non-members, with 48% of trade unionists very confident that they would be in their job in a year’s time, compared to 40% of workers not in a union.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “These poll findings show just how many people are getting worried about losing their job in the current economic slowdown. Of course this does not mean that unemployment will rise by anything like three million, but it does show just how jittery people have become about the economy and their own job.

“The economy will inevitably slow this year and next, given the credit crunch and the impact of higher oil, food and commodity prices. But there is a real danger that if everyone thinks that the downturn will be deeper than it needs to be it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“These findings add to the growing pressure on the Government and economic policy makers to put growth first by doing all they can to restore confidence and boost investment.”