Jobless main concern—poll

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 3

Jobless main concern—poll

Unemployment remains the main concern of voters despite recent, tentative signs of an improvement in the job market.

Unemployment was named as the country’s No. 1 problem by 58 per cent of those questioned in the latest “New Zealand Herald” National Research Bureau poll.

That level of concern was higher than in any poll since the 1987 election.

Worries about the general state of the economy continue to decline, though they remain the second-most-mentioned problem.

The quality of government, which featured as a significant concern at the last poll, in April, is troubling people slightly less now.

Law and order appears to be declining in popular

concern despite the suggestions, before the poll, that police strength would be harmed by budgetary limits.

Health issues have also failed to register as a significant worry despite the announced hospital closings in Auckland and the financial struggles of other area health boards.

The poll was taken from August 19 to 24, among 2000 eligible voters selected by random probability from the 20 main population centres. The same main problems were seen by supporters of both main parties and the uncommitted.

Each group named unemploymeent most, though concern was more pronounced among

Labour voters. The breakdown of the main worries of those in each group were:

Labour supporters: Unemployment 62%, economy 9%, racial problems 7%, government 4%, social climate 3%. National supporters: Unemployment 55%, economy 11%, government 10%, racial prob-, lems 6%, law and order 4%-

Uncommited voters: Unemployment 53%, economy 10%, racial problems 9%, government 7%, social climate 4%. All results are subject to the maximum statistical sampling error of 2 per cent. Copyright 1989 — the “New Zealand Herald."

Respondents were asked: “What is the single most important problem facing New Zealand right now?” Their answers, compared with those given in previous polls were:

Unemployment Economy in general Government Racial concerns Social climate/ Public morality Law and order Health issues Education Overseas Trade Drug/alcohol abuse

Aug ’89 April ’89 Sep ’88 May ’88 Dec ’87 June ’87 % % % % % % 58 54 55 48 31 34 10 12 12 13 24 20 7 10 5 4 4 4 7 5 11 7 4 2 4 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 5 8 13 9 1 1 — — — — 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 6 1 1 — 2 1 —