TWO-THIRDS of Irish people believe the worst of the economic crisis has yet to come with almost a quarter saying they are not confident of having a job in two years’ time.
These are two of the key findings of a new Eurobarometer survey on employment and the economic crisis, which highlights the prevailing pessimistic mood among the public.
The survey, which will be published by the European Commission today, shows that just 21 per cent of Irish people say the economic crisis has now reached its peak and things will start to recover.
In contrast, two thirds of respondents say that the worst is yet to come.
Almost a quarter of people, some 24 per cent, say they are not confident of having a job in two years time while 19 per cent say they are not confident of holding on to their jobs in the coming months.
This represents a major drop in confidence since the last major Eurobarometer survey on employment was conducted in June 2006 when just 5 per cent of Irish people said they were not confident of keeping their job in the coming months.
Across the EU the mood is marginally more optimistic with 28 per cent of Europeans saying they feel the crisis has reached its peak and things are recovering little by little. Some 18 per cent of EU respondents to the survey fear they won’t have a job in two years time.
Irish people hold a more positive view of the EU’s impact on employment and social affairs than other Europeans – a statistic that may have some bearing on the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in October.
Some 62 per cent of Irish people surveyed say what they see, read or hear about the union’s activities in the area of employment is positive, compared to an EU average of 52 per cent.
However, this represents a slight fall on the 65 per cent of people who told the 2006 Eurobarometer survey that the EU had a positive impact in the area of employment and social affairs. The number of people who view the EU as having a negative impact has jumped to 18 per cent, up from 9 per cent.
The survey also highlights a trend toward a more flexible workforce in the Republic with 82 per cent of people saying lifetime jobs are now “a thing of the past”. Some 86 per cent of people say work contracts should become more flexible to encourage job creation, which is significantly more than the European average at 73 per cent of people.
Irish people cited: increasing childcare facilities (85 per cent); increased care facilities for elderly people (81 per cent); regular training at work (87 per cent); and supporting people who want to start their own business (86 per cent) as some of the key ways to get more people into work and help them to stay in work longer in the survey.
Research for the Eurobarometer survey was conducted via 1,007 face-to-face interviews in Ireland in late May and early June this year.
Irish attitudes to economic crisis Two-thirds of Irish people believe the worst of the crisis is yet to come 24 per cent of Irish people are not confident of having a job in two years’ time 19 per cent are not confident of keeping their job in coming months 62 per cent view EU action in employment area as positive 18 per cent see EU action in employment area as negative Three-quarters of Irish people have not participated on a training course in last year 82 per cent say lifetime jobs are now a thing of the past 85 per cent say increasing childcare facilities is effective in increasing employment
The Irish Times
