Unemployment top N.Z. worry

Press, 17 November 1981, Page 27

Unemployment top N.Z. worry

Concern about unemployment — regarded for the last year as New Zealand’s top problem — has reached a record level. Forty-three per cent of eligible voters say unemployment is the most important problem, compared with 33 per cent a year ago, 13 per cent two years ago, and 10 per cent in May, 1979. Concern about all the main economic problems has grown to 78 per cent, compared with 70 per cent in mid-September and 68 per cent a year ago. The main economic problems are defined as unemployment, the general state of the economy, inflation, and overseas trade. Housing and the triennial issue, elections, have joined the list of “top 10” problems. The Springbok tour, which aroused 9 per cent concern in July and 5 per cent in September, has sunk from the scoreboard. In the latest poll, 0.4 per cent of respondents still considered it the top problem. Those results emerge from a “New Zealand Herald”-National Research Bureau survey held throughout New Zealand from October 31 to November 4. , The survey covered 2000 eligible voters selected by random in the 20 main population centres. The highest level of concern about unemployment (48 per cent) occurs among people

The poll figures are subject to a maximum statistical sampling error of plus or minus 2 per cent.

The “top 10” problems account for 93 per cent of voters’ primary concerns, compared with' 91 per cent in September.

In the equivalent poll before the 1978 election, the chief worries of voters were unemployment 21 per cent, the economy in general 25 per cent, inflation 7 per cent, social climate-public morality 11 per cent, overseas trade 7 per cent, government 4 per cent, industrial relations 7 per cent, law and order 4 per cent, housing nil, and elections 1 per cent.

Most concern about the “top 10” problems is felt by these groups.— Unemployment by women, Dunedin City residents, people aged 55 and over, and Labour supporters. The economy by men, Auckland City residents, people aged 35 to 44, and uncommitted voters.

Inflation by men, Dunedin provincial area

aged 55 and over. The people who might be thought to be most at risk and thus most concerned, those aged under 24 or those aged 25 to 34. show less-concern — 40 per cent and 43 per cent respectively. Since the greatest part of the over-55 age group is composed of. retired people and of people who are probably secure in their jobs, it may be supposed that they are largely fearful for others — perhaps for children or grandchildren. Or perhaps they fear that national superannuation may become hard to sustain! without the widest possible productive base. Certainly people of their age would have strong memories of the slump of the early 19305. Some possible problems which apparently none of the respondents chose as number one included the road toll, regional imbalance, nuclear ships, and national superannuation. <. The poll also showed that optimism is not dead in New Zealand. Just on 2 per cent of the sample could not choose a top problem or insisted that everything was quite all right. People were asked: “What is the single most important problem facing New Zealand right now?" The answers, compared with answers in other polls, were.—

residents, people aged 45 to 54, and Social Credit supporters. Social climate-public morality by men, Christchurch City residents, people aged 55 and over, and National supporters. Overseas trade by men, Christchurch City residents, people aged 45 to 54, and National supporters. Government by men, Wellington City residents, people aged 35 to 44, and Social Credit supporters. Industrial relations by men, Wellington provincial area residents, people aged 55 and over, and National supporters. Law and order by women, Auckland City residents, people aged 18 to 24, and National supporters. Housing by women, Christchurch City residents, people aged 18 to 24. and Social Credit supporters. Elections by women, Wellington City residents, people aged 18 to 24, and uncommitted voters. Copyright 1981 — The “New Zealand Herald.”

Nov 81 % Sept 81 % July 81 % May 81 % Mar 81 % Jan 81 % Nov 80 % July 80 % May ' 80 % Nov 79 % July 79 % May 79 % Unemployment 43 40 38 41 35 36 33 20 11 13 10 10. The economy in general 18 17 15 17 14 16 18 23 22 22 26 32 Inflation 12 10 11 10 10 13 13 18 25 13 9 11 Social climate/ public morality 6 7 J 6 8 8 7 9 9 10 10 10 Overseas trade 5 3 3 4 5 4 4 8 3 6 5 . 8 Government 3 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 4 6 6 7 Industrial relations 2 1 2 3 17 2 8 2 5 5 7 4 Law and order 2 2 2 3 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 Housing 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — Elections 1 — — — — — — ■— — — — —-•