Workplace violence continues to be a leading concern for American businesses, according to the tenth annual survey of Fortune 1000 corporate security professionals. The total costs associated with workplace violence are estimated at $36 billion annually and affect more than two million Americans every year.

"The economy has had a major impact on corporations and their workforce this past year. Many industries have been hit hard with public scandals, bankruptcies, closures and layoffs. These factors can contribute to poor attitudes or potential hostilities among the workforce," reports the Pinkerton survey.

Some of the operational challenges of the greatest concern to management identified in the survey include tight or reduced budgets, justifying the effectiveness of security programs and keeping up with technological advances.