Despite the fact that three out of four Generation Y workers (those between 22 and 33 years old) feel secure in their jobs, more than 70% are very concerned about their finances and have set the goal of daily money management and budgeting, according to a study by Fidelity Investments.

Many of the young workers surveyed say the economic crisis has made their generation more conservative about their career and finaincial goals, which is reflected in not only their spending decisions, but also their employment choices.

More Gen Y-ers today show a reluctance to job-hop, with 25% indicating an intent to stay with their current employer until retirement — up from 14% when the same survey was conducted two years ago.

Benefits have taken on more importance too. Almost two-thirds of respondents (62%) say that the quality of a benefits package influences their choice of employer, and about the same number (64%) say that benefits affect their job loyalty. And surprisingly, about four out of 10 (44%) believe that the value of the benefits they receive should be tied to their performance.

When asked about “must-have” benefits, Gen Y-ers ranked health insurance first (82%), followed by paid vacation (68%) and access to a retirement plan (57%). About 18% now consider saving for retirement their most important goal, up from 13% in 2008. The majority (57%) believe that employer-sponsored retirement plans are the best way to save for retirement.

“Many Gen Y-ers have become engaged with their finances through this economic downturn and are now recognizing how critical it is to save early for retirement,” according to Phillippe Mauldin, Fidelity’s executive vice president of workplace investing. “However, this is the life stage when retirement is competing with an ever-growing list of financial priorities.”

One of the toughest of those decisions: deciding whether to cash out or roll over their retirement plan accounts in the event of a job loss. Fidelity’s study found that guidance provided during this time plays a crucial role in that decision: Job changers who had funds in an employer-sponsored retirement plan and sought guidance cashed out 29% of the time, versus 49% among those who did not receive any guidance.

Overall, 35% of Gen Y job changers with funds in a retirement plan cashed out their balances the last time they left a job. The most common reasons for doing so were: a small balance not perceived to be worth rolling over (30%); job loss tied to a greater need for the money (24%); the money was needed for a major purchase (20%); and the money was needed for everyday expenses (19%).

The Fidelity study, conducted in August 2009, polled 1,017 employed individuals between 22 and 33 years old.