Economical

Generally, critical views prevailed over positive opinion on the evaluation of the current economic situation. The lowest degree of dissatisfaction was recorded in Hungary (40% - bad economic situation but only 4% good), and the highest in Slovakia (70% bad, 2% good). The opinion of the Polish and the Czech general public could be inserted between the previous two and at the moment is rather similar.

People in the Czech Republic see the latest economic development in our country in a relatively dark light and they are pessimistic also about its latest development. Only 13% of respondents stated that the economic development of our country had improved compared to the situation 12 months ago. On the other hand, almost half (48%) think that the situation is worse now than a year ago and more than a third (37%) consider it to be the same.

In case of losing the job, most people would attempt to find a specific job corresponding to their own ideas. In the census this was expressed by less than two thirds of respondents (65%). Contrary to this, one third of respondents (33%) stated that if they were in this situation they would also accept any job. Regarding the conditions which people themselves set when looking for a job, the relatively smallest obstacles to accept a job were the need for induction or re-training or, if need be, possible overtime work and increased pace of work .

In the May census organised by the Centre for Public Opinion Research within the project Our Society 2004 we investigated, apart from other issues, also the issue of unemployment. More than three quarters of people consider the current level of unemployment in the CR to be too high, less than a fifth of the respondents think that it is adequate, and only 2% of the respondents consider it to be too low.

The May census of the CPOR was performed about three weeks after the Czech Republic joined the European Union. In the census we were interested in what people understand about the impact. As far as the standard of living is concerned, less than a half of Czechs (45%) do not expect any change, almost a third of respondents (32%) are however concerned with is decline. On the other hand, approximately one seventh (14%) of Czech citizens are optimistic about an increase in their standard of living in connection with the accession of the Czech Republic to the EU.

Positive expectations in connection with the Czech Republic’s accession to the EU prevail only for the category of the available range of goods and services in our market when three fifths (61%) expect a positive impact, one quarter (26%) do not expect either negative or positive impact and only 7% suspect a decline. A relatively positive expectation of the impact was recorded also for science and research, where respondents expect the positive impact (38%) clearly more often than the negative one (8%) and also the neutral one (29%).

In April 2004 the standard of living of their household was evaluated as good by two fifths (40%) of respondents, 43% evaluated it as neither good, nor bad and 16% characterised it as bad. Perception of the standard of living is improving with a growing income and with a growing level of education of the respondents. Lately, owners of medium and small enterprise, senior specialists and managers, young people between 15-19, students, single and potential ODS supporters belong to the more satisfied group of society.

More than a half of employees (54%) are happy with their current job, two fifths (39%) feel half contented and half discontented and 7% show their discontent. The group with the most contented employees is represented by highly qualified specialists or managers; on the opposite pole of contentment there are unskilled or agricultural labourers. As far as relations in the workplace are concerned, respondents mostly characterised them as a good form of co-operation without getting too personal (53%) and another 21% stated that there was a friendly and closed atmosphere in their workplace.

Also a block of questions on work and working environment was part of a March census performed by the Centre for Public Opinion Research SOU of the Academy of Sciences of the CR. These questions were answered only by those who were currently working as employees which, out of the total sample of 1056 respondents, were 492 respondents. Approximately a fifth of employees admit a possible change in their job description within 2 years.

Only 29% of respondents think that the government cares for the social situation of their people in an adequate way, whilst two thirds (65%) of respondents think that it is insufficient, contrary to 4% who perceive it as excessive. Views on social care provided by the government to families with young children are even less favourable when only less than a quarter of respondents (24%) marked it as adequate, 71% respondents evaluated it as insufficient and 2% think it is excessive.