Few Europeans in 2011 said it was a good time to find a job in the city or area where they live. A median of 12% of residents across the 27 countries Gallup surveyed were positive about the local job outlook, while a median of 80% said it was a bad time.
Greeks were the least optimistic, with only 2% saying it was a “good time” to find a job and 98% a “bad time”, meanwhile Germans were the most optimistic, with 50% saying it was a good time. Germans’ opinions of the job market are the most favorable in the region and have improved markedly from the low of 16% saying it was a good time to find a job in 2009.
As the largest economy in Europe and one of the largest in the world, Germany’s economic success is crucial to the region’s economic stability. As Europe threatens to enter a recession, and confidence in the job climate falters, the positive momentum in Germany is one encouraging sign from the region.
Momentum is also positive in Austria, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Denmark, and France, with all six countries posting double-digit improvement within the last two years. Still, residents in 25 of the 27 countries are more likely to say it is a bad time than a good time to find a job.
These findings underscore not only the pessimism that people feel in the countries hardest hit in the eurozone crisis, such as Greece, but also the wider economic struggle across the EU. Residents in Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Ireland, and Spain are the least optimistic about the job climate, with the percentages saying it was a good time to find a job in the single digits.
(source: ANSA)
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