After an early summer dip, Los Angeles-area worker confidence rebounded in August as more employees reported satisfaction with their jobs and personal finances and fewer saw layoffs hit their workplaces, according to a survey released Thursday.

The survey from human resources consulting firm Hudson, a unit of Hudson Highland Group, showed a 3.5 point increase in the monthly employment index to 102.2 for Los Angeles. While up from July, the index level is still 7 points lower than August 2005 as more workers expressed concerns for their own job security. A reading above 100 is considered as a positive outlook.

Nationwide, the employment index rose 1 point to 102.9 in August from July and was up 4 points from August 2005. The Hudson survey cited improved worker outlooks on their own finances and job satisfaction.

The Los Angeles survey asked workers whether their employers were planning to hire or lay off people. Nearly 34 percent indicated employers were planning to hire, up the same level as in July but only 18 percent said layoffs were expected, down from 21 percent in July.