The mortgage and credit market meltdown hit Main Street last month as L.A. worker confidence declined markedly.

According to the Hudson Employment Index, which tracks worker confidence and expectations in Los Angeles and 10 other cities across the nation, L.A.’s index reading fell 3.2 points to 96.4 in August, the second lowest mark in the last year. An index score of 100 is considered baseline.

The monthly telephone survey of 9,000 people nationwide found that L.A. area workers expressed greater dissatisfaction with finances and expected their employers to hirer fewer people in coming months. However, fewer people said they feared being laid off from their jobs (17 percent in August versus 23 percent in July).

The Hudson California index fell 8.8 points to 100.3 in August, while the national index fell 6.6 points to 99.2. Los Angeles’ ranked on a par with New York City and Boston, but was significantly higher than Chicago’s 86.5 score.