|
BUSINESS & POLITICS IN THE WORLD GLOBAL OPINION REPORT NO. 743 Week:
May 16 – May 22, 2022 Presentation:
May 27, 2022 Nearly
Nine In Ten Consumers In Singapore Have Some Concerns About Using Digital
Financial Services 91%
Of Consumers In Hong Kong Have Some Concerns About Using Digital Financial
Services Majority
Support Return Of Mandatory Masks, But Very Few (28%) Are Wearing Them Every
Time They Shop Spring
2022: How Many Voters Would Be Willing To Vote For Another Party Only
16% Of Scottish Football Fans Think A European Victory Is Likely For A
Scottish Team Majority
Of Scots Are Concerned About Climate Change And Are Aware Of Its Risks To Scotland 63%
Of French People Surveyed Say They Have Never Forgotten Mother's Day 73
Percent Of Consumers Are Interested In Smart Garden Tools More
Than Half Of Americans Live Within An Hour Of Extended Family 41%
In U S Worry A Great Deal About Race Relations 51%
Of Americans Favor, 47% Oppose Nuclear Energy Inflation:
The Perceptions Of Citizens Of 11 Countries Should
Ukraine Get Automatic Qualification To The World Cup; Scottish And Welsh Fans
Say No INTRODUCTORY NOTE 743-43-22/Commentary: Rich Countries Of The World Are Not Free
From Deprivations; 25 % In The UK Skipping A Meal, Majority Of Canadians Wish
To Age And Die In Their Own Homes But Only 12% Can
New research
by Ipsos in the UK shows many Britons report taking measures in response to
rises in their cost of living. As the cost
of living crisis continues to squeeze, around two-thirds say they have kept
their heating off when they would normally have turned it on (65%) while half
(52%) are already going out socialising less than normal.
Around a
quarter of Britons have already skipped meals in response to the cost of
living crisis (27%), rising to one in three of those on lower incomes. Other
actions taken include changing their supermarkets for cheaper alternatives
(44%), driving their car less (44%) and using price comparison websites to
look for cheaper energy providers (39%). What do Britons expect? Most Britons
expect to see increases in the costs of essentials over the next 6 months.
Almost 9 in 10 (87%) believe their utilities (e.g. water, gas, etc.) will go
up while similar proportions expect to see the same effect on the cost of
their food (86%) and other household shopping (80%). Around 3 in 4 think
motoring fuel costs will go up (73%) while 64% believe the cost of going out
socialising will increase. More than half (56%) believe costs of
subscriptions, such as media or leisure, will go up while around 4 in 10
(43%) believe their mortgage or rent will become more expensive.
Unsurprisingly,
large majorities of Britons are concerned about the cost of living crisis and
the impact it will have. Nine in 10 (89%) are concerned for the country as a
whole while 83% are worried about the impacts on themselves personally. Eight
in 10 (79%) are concerned about the effects it will have on people in their
local area. Where is the crisis expected to be worst? People
living in North East/Yorkshire and Humber and Greater London are most likely
to say the cost of living over the next six months will be worse in their
local area than other parts of the country (both 28%). Meanwhile, those in
the South East (30%) are most likely to say their local area will not be as
badly affected as other parts of the country. The role of the UK Government and local councils Around
three-quarters (76%) of Britons think the UK Government is not providing
enough support to their local area on the cost of living, while only 10% say
it is providing the right amount of support and 8% too much. There is little
difference across party lines, 71% of those who voted for the current
Conservative government in 2019 say it is not providing enough support while
82% of 2019 Labour voters say the same. Just under
two-thirds (63%) say their local council is not doing enough to support
people while 16% say it is providing the right amount of support and 7% too
much. Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos,
said: Concern about inflation is at a thirty-year high in Ipsos polling,
and Britons across the country see the cost of living as both a national,
local, and personal priority. People are already telling us they have
taken a range of actions to mitigate its effects – some with a direct impact
on basics like food and heating – but given the economic forecasts there may
well be more anxiety on the horizon. This is going to maintain pressure
on the Government to take more steps to help people through the cost of
living crisis – already an area where they are less trusted than Labour, but
this is an issue where even their own supporters want them to do more. (Ipsos MORI) 16 May 2022 To mark
Personal Support Workers (PSW) Day on May 19, HomeEquity Bank and Ipsos
conducted a survey among Canadians aged 45+ to learn more about the important
ways in which personal support workers (PSWs) make a difference in the lives
of those they support (and their loved ones). The survey also sought to
uncover Canadians’ attitudes towards home care and how they may be planning
to finance their own potential home care in the future. PSWs Play a Role in the Physical and Emotional Wellbeing of Seniors Nearly one
in five (18%) Canadians aged 45+ years report either having a PSW helping
them (3%) or knowing someone who has PSW support (15%). A further 18% think
that while they do not have a PSW now, they may need one in the future. For those
who have a PSW, know someone who has PSW support, or think they may need this
support in the future, the value of a PSW is clear. Ways in which respondents
highlight the assistance PSWs can provide include carrying out household
tasks (59%), help in maintaining personal hygiene (51%), help in meal
preparation (43%), help with medical treatments (40%), and allowing those
they support to have a higher quality of life (40%). Beyond
physical assistance, respondents highlighted the emotional and interpersonal
value of PSWs, including how PSWs help with social contact (31%) and provide
empathy and emotional support (30%). These data are reinforced by the fact
that 93% of Canadians aged 45+ years agree (45% strongly/48% somewhat) that
PSWs positively impact the lives of Canadians of all ages. Most Want to Age at Home, But May Need to Make Budget Cuts to Afford
It The research
found that 95% of Canadian adults aged 45+ years agree (57% strongly/38%
somewhat) that being able to age in-place would allow them to maintain their
independence, comfort, and dignity. Perhaps accordingly, 92% agree (52%
strongly/40% somewhat) that as they age, they would prefer in-home care over
moving to a long-term care facility. Eight in ten (79%) agree (25%
strongly/53% somewhat) that they would only consider long-term care or
assisted living if they couldn’t afford in-home care. While the
idea of ageing at home is appealing, the cost of in-home care may require
making some financial adjustments. The survey shows that only 12% of
respondents report having enough room in their budget for in-home care, which
can cost between $150 and $600 per day. When asked what they would cut in
their budget if they needed to afford a personal care worker, respondents
highlighted the following financial sacrifices they would consider:
(Ipsos
Canada) 19 May 2022 ASIA (Singapore) Nearly Nine In Ten Consumers In Singapore Have Some
Concerns About Using Digital Financial Services Nearly nine in ten consumers in Singapore
have some concerns about using digital financial services – such as
digital-only banks, e-wallets and cryptocurrencies (87%). Research by
YouGov shows the top three concerns all revolve around the security of
digital finance. More than half of consumers (54%) agree that there is too much risk from hackers, while
49% worry about their identity being
stolen, and 45% feel that not
enough fraud protection measures are in place. (YouGov Singapore) May 17, 2022 (Hong
Kong) 91%
Of Consumers In Hong Kong Have Some Concerns About Using Digital Financial
Services Research by YouGov shows that half of
consumers feel there is too much risk
from hackers when using digital financial services and worry
about their identity being stolen (50%).91%
of consumers in Hong Kong have some concerns about using digital financial
services – such as digital-only banks, e-wallets and cryptocurrencies.
Additionally, over two in five are concerned about there not being enough fraud protection (43%)
and not being able to easily speak to
a person if they run into problems while using digital
financial services (41%). (YouGov Hong Kong) May 17, 2022 WEST
EUROPE (UK) A Quarter Of Britons Say They’ve Skipped Meals Due To
Rising Cost Of Living As 3 In 4 Think The Government Is Not Providing Enough
Support New research by Ipsos in the UK shows many
Britons report taking measures in response to rises in their cost of living. As
the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze, around two-thirds say they
have kept their heating off when they would normally have turned it on (65%)
while half (52%) are already going out socialising less than normal. Almost 9
in 10 (87%) believe their utilities (e.g. water, gas, etc.) will go up while
similar proportions expect to see the same effect on the cost of their food
(86%) and other household shopping (80%). (Ipsos MORI) 16 May 2022 Majority Support Return Of Mandatory Masks, But Very Few
(28%) Are Wearing Them Every Time They Shop With Scotland lifting their rules on
wearing masks in crowded places earlier this month, it is no longer a legal
requirement to do so in any of the British nations. New YouGov data suggests
that the public would prefer if these rules were still in place, however,
with six in ten (62%) saying they support the reintroduction of mandatory
masks in shops. Just a third of Brits (33%) oppose the return of the mask. (YouGov UK) May 16, 2022 37% Trust Labour Most To "Reduce You And Your Family's
Cost Of Living" Compared To 22% Who Trust The Conservatives Most The latest Ipsos Political Monitor, taken
May 11-17th shows the Labour Party extending their lead over the
Conservatives as most trusted on dealing with the rising cost of living in
Britain. 37% of the British public trust Labour most to ‘reduce you and your
family’s cost of living’ compared with 22% who trust the Conservatives most.
This 15-point lead for Labour is up from 9 points in March but similar to the
17-point lead witnessed in January. (Ipsos MORI) 19 May 2022 Spring 2022: How Many Voters Would Be Willing To Vote For
Another Party A new YouGov survey asks voters how willing
they would be to vote elsewhere, and who might get their ballot if so. The
research shows that among the top four parties, Green and Lib Dem supporters are more
likely to consider switching. Among current Green party voters, 50% say they
would be likely to consider another party for their vote – including 11% who
are “very likely” to do so. Only 11% would be entirely opposed to voting for
another party. Overall, approaching three in ten Greens (29%) say they would
consider voting Labour, while 20% would mull over a vote for the Lib Dems.
Just 6% would consider a switch to a Conservative vote. (YouGov UK) May 19, 2022 (Scotland) Only 16% Of Scottish Football Fans Think A European Victory
Is Likely For A Scottish Team YouGov research among Scots (carried out in
mid-April, long before the Europa League final) shows that football fans are
not confident in their domestic teams’ abilities at higher levels. Only 16%
say it is likely that a Scottish team will win a European tournament such as
the Europa League or Champions League in the next 20 years. Eight in ten
(80%) think it unlikely a Scottish side will do so, including 30% saying it's
"not at all likely" they will win. (YouGov UK) May 19, 2022 Majority Of Scots Are Concerned About Climate Change And
Are Aware Of Its Risks To Scotland Echoing recent trends, concern about
climate change was high: 82% were concerned about climate change generally,
and 76% were concerned about its impacts on Scotland specifically. Around
half (49%) said their level of concern had increased over the last 12 months,
while the same proportion said it had remained the same (and just 1% said it
had decreased). (Ipsos MORI) 20 May 2022 (France) 63% Of French People Surveyed Say They Have Never Forgotten
Mother's Day 63% of French people surveyed say they have
never forgotten Mother's Day. Almost half of the mothers surveyed (49%)
would be upset if their children did not wish them. Only 24% of respondents
say they have already forgotten this holiday (compared to 31% in
2021). The younger generations seem to be less involved: 43% of 25-34
year olds and 41% of 18-24 year olds have already forgotten about it. (YouGov France) May 16, 2022 (Germany) 73 Percent Of Consumers Are Interested In Smart Garden
Tools In the new YouGov short study " Smart Gardening - how German consumers feel
about smart technologies and devices for the garden " we examine the interest and
attitudes towards smart gardening technologies. Smart gardening technologies
are known to the majority of German consumers (78 percent) and interest is
high among these experts (73 percent). The best known are currently robotic
lawn mowers (58 percent), closely followed by irrigation systems (55 percent)
and lighting (51 percent). Smart fertilizer systems (18 percent) and
plant monitors (14 percent), on the other hand, are still relatively unknown. (YouGov Germany) May 17, 2022 NORTH AMERICA (USA) More Than Half Of Americans Live Within An Hour Of Extended
Family Overall, 55% of U.S. adults say they live
within an hour’s drive of at least some of their extended family members.
Roughly equal shares of Americans say they live near all or most of their
extended family (28%) or near some extended family (27%). Another 24% of
adults say they live within an hour’s drive of only a few family members,
while one-in-five say they do not live near any extended family members. Only
1% of Americans say they don’t have extended family at all, according to the
survey, which defined extended family as children, parents, grandparents,
grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and in-laws who
don’t currently live with the respondent. (PEW) MAY 18, 2022 41% In U S Worry A Great Deal About Race Relations Before a White man targeting Black
Americans killed 10 people and wounded three others in a mass shooting in
Buffalo, New York, late last week, 41% of U.S. adults said they worry "a
great deal" about race relations. Another 29% worry "a fair
amount," while a combined three in 10 worry "only a little"
(17%) or "not at all" (13%). The percentage of Americans highly
concerned in the March 1-18 poll is on par with the elevated level of concern
seen in most years since 2017. Yet, it is a bit lower than in March 2021, 10
months after George Floyd's murder, when 48% worried a great deal. (Gallup) MAY 19, 2022 Around A Third Of Black Adults (32%) Said
They Worried Every Day Or Almost Every Day That They Might Be Threatened Or
Attacked In a Pew Research Center survey conducted in
mid-April,
around a third of Black adults (32%) said they worried every day or almost
every day that they might be threatened or attacked because of their race or
ethnicity. Around one-in-five Asian Americans (21%) said the same, as did 14%
of Hispanic adults and 4% of White adults. In the same survey, around
three-in-ten Black adults who said being threatened or attacked was ever a
concern (28%) said they had made changes to their daily schedule or routine
in the past year due to those fears. (PEW) MAY 20, 2022 51% Of Americans Favor, 47% Oppose Nuclear
Energy Americans' relatively limited support for
nuclear energy in recent years contrasts with more solid backing from 2004 to
2015, when majorities of between 53% and 62% favored it. Americans are evenly
split on whether nuclear energy should be a source of electricity in the
U.S., with 51% in favor and 47% opposed. Three years ago, the two camps were
tied at 49%, while in 2016, the majority (54%) opposed nuclear power. (Gallup) MAY 20, 2022 (Canada) Nearly All Canadians 45+ Years Want To Age At Home, But
Only 1 In 10 (12%) Say They Can Afford The Cost Of A Personal Support Worker To mark Personal Support Workers (PSW) Day
on May 19, HomeEquity Bank and Ipsos conducted a survey among Canadians aged
45+ to learn more about the important ways in which personal support workers
(PSWs) make a difference in the lives of those they support (and their loved
ones). Nearly one in five (18%) Canadians aged 45+ years report either having
a PSW helping them (3%) or knowing someone who has PSW support (15%). A
further 18% think that while they do not have a PSW now, they may need one in the future. (Ipsos Canada) 19 May 2022 AUSTRALIA ALP 53% Leads The L-NP 47% And Set To Win The Election With
A Swing Of 4.5% Since The 2019 Federal Election The ALP’s lead over the L-NP has been cut
to 6% points as early voting began last week but it still holds a clear
election winning lead before this week’s Federal Election: ALP 53% (down 1.5%
points in a week) ahead of the L-NP 47% (up 1.5% points) on a two-party
preferred basis. Support for One Nation was unchanged on 4% and support for
Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party was unchanged at 1%. Support for Other
Parties was up 1% point to 5% while support for Independents was up 0.5%
points to 9%. (Roy Morgan) May 17 2022 Australian Unemployment Jumps To 9.7% In April; Highest
Since July 2021 But Under-Employment Unchanged The latest Roy Morgan employment series
data shows unemployment increasing by 1.9% points to 9.7% in April - the
biggest monthly increase since the initial stages of the pandemic just over
two years ago. However, under-employment was unchanged at 8.4% in April. There
was a sharp spike in unemployment in April up 278,000 to 1.41 million
Australians (9.7% of the workforce) while under-employment was up 7,000 to
1.23 million (unchanged at 8.4% of the workforce). Overall unemployment and
under-employment was up 285,000 at 2.64 million (18.1%). (Roy Morgan) May 17 2022 MULTICOUNTRY STUDIES Inflation: The Perceptions Of Citizens Of 11 Countries 25% of respondents say they find it
somewhat or very difficult to manage their finances lately: between
two-thirds of Turkish citizens (66%) and 16% of those in the United States
and Germany. The largest group say they are "barely getting
by" - 34% overall and more than half (54%) of Poles. Only 11% say
they live comfortably and three out of ten people (29%) believe that their
situation is okay. (Ipsos France) May 16, 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/inflation-les-perceptions-des-citoyens-de-11-pays Britons Tend To Think The UK Would Come Out Worse In A
Trade War With The EU, A Study In Seven Countries A YouGov Eurotrack survey conducted in
December 2021 found that, in all seven countries surveyed, people tended to
think that the UK would come off worse in a UK-EU trade war. This includes
49% of Britons, compared to 25% who think both sides would be equally hit,
and just 11% who think the EU would be most negatively impacted. By contrast,
Conservative and Leave voters tend to think that both sides would be equally
badly damaged (40% of the former and 36% of the latter). One in five (20-21%)
think that the EU would be more negatively affected than the UK, while
marginally more think the UK would be bruised more than the EU (25-27%). (YouGov UK) May 18, 2022 The Role Of Technology In Our Life And Concern About
Sharing Personal Data Online Views Of Individuals From 39 Countries Across
The Globe Almost half of the global population (48%)
is concerned about sharing personal information digitally, a percentage that
increased by three points compared to last year (45%). The level of concern
increases among men and women as well: women, from 47% to 50% and men, from
43% to 47%. The increased frequency of online purchases and bank transactions
in times of pandemic may have played a role in this scenario: providing
private data, without a good virtual security system, can lead to theft or
manipulation of personal data for illicit acts. (WIN) Source: https://winmr.com/the-role-of-technology-in-our-life-and-concern-about-sharing-personal-data-online/ Should Ukraine Get Automatic Qualification To The World Cup; Scottish
And Welsh Fans Say No As part of the global cultural backlash
against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian national football team has
been banned from the 2022 World Cup. Some, including prime minister Boris Johnson, have suggested the Ukrainian team could
be given an automatic qualification to the competition group stages. However,
this would mean Wales and Scotland would lose out on their chance for a spot.
Scottish and Welsh football fans, however, are distinctly unwilling to
sacrifice their teams’ chance for glory out of generosity to Ukraine. Just a
tiny percentage support the idea: 2% of Welsh fans and 4% of Scottish fans
think Ukraine should be given the 'bye' into the next round at the expense of
their national teams' chances. (YouGov UK) May 20, 2022 ASIA
743-43-01/Polls Nearly Nine In Ten Consumers In Singapore Have Some Concerns About
Using Digital Financial Services
Nearly nine in ten consumers in Singapore
have some concerns about using digital financial services – such as
digital-only banks, e-wallets and cryptocurrencies (87%). Research by YouGov shows the top three
concerns all revolve around the security of digital finance. More than half
of consumers (54%) agree that there is too
much risk from hackers, while 49% worry about their identity being stolen, and 45% feel
that not enough fraud protection
measures are in place.
Additionally, more than two in five (44%)
are concerned about not being able to
easily speak to a person if they run into problems while
using digital services, and not being
able to access their money without an internet connection.
Meanwhile, over a third (35%) are not
assured with the current level of government regulation. Just 8%
say they do not have any concerns with digital financial services today.
How do concerns about digital finance vary
across different generations in Singapore? Older consumers are more concerned about
the risk of being hacked when
using digital financial services. More than three in five (63%) Baby Boomers
(born 1946 – 1964) and over half (54%) of Gen X (born 1965 – 1980) worry
about this, compared to under half of Millennials (born 1981 – 1996) and Gen
Z (born 1997 – 2009) consumers.
Concerns about identity theft when using digital
financial services also rise with age. Over half of Baby Boomers and Gen X
worry about this, compared to about two in five Millennials and Gen Z
consumers. However, while just under half of Gen Z and
Baby Boomers feel there is not enough
fraud protection when using digital financial services, only
around two in five Millennials and Gen X consumers are concerned about this.
Older consumers are also more concerned
about easy access to customer service personnel and their own money when
using digital financial services. Almost three-fifths of Baby Boomers worry
about not being able to easily speak
to a person if there’s a problem, compared to around two-fifths of
Gen X and Millennials, and one-third of Gen Z consumers. Half of Baby Boomers are also concerned
about not being able to access their
money without an internet connection when using digital
financial services, compared to around two-fifths of Gen X, Millennial and
Gen Z consumers. Surprisingly, Gen Z consumers are most
likely to say a lack of clarity on how
digital finance services work is a concern when using them
(28%), compared to around one-quarter of Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.
Across generations, around a third of
consumers feel there is not enough
government regulation of digital finance at present. Baby
Boomers are most likely to feel that digital
financial services are not as reliable as traditional financial services (33%),
while Gen X are the least likely to (26%). (YouGov Singapore) May 17, 2022 Source: https://sg.yougov.com/en-sg/news/2022/05/17/singapore-digital-finance-concerns-2022/ 743-43-02/Polls 91% Of Consumers In Hong Kong Have Some Concerns About Using Digital
Financial Services
91% of consumers in Hong Kong have some
concerns about using digital financial services – such as digital-only banks,
e-wallets and cryptocurrencies. Research by YouGov shows that half of
consumers feel there is too much risk
from hackers when using digital financial services and worry
about their identity being stolen (50%).
Additionally, over two in five are
concerned about there not being enough
fraud protection (43%) and not being able to easily speak to a person if they run
into problems while using digital financial services (41%). Just 6% say they
do not have any concerns with digital financial services today. How do concerns about digital finance vary
across different generations in Hong Kong? More than half of Gen X (born 1965 – 1980)
and Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964) are concerned about the risk of being hacked when using
digital financial services, compared to just under half of Millennials (born
1981 – 1996) and a third of Gen Z consumers (born 1997 – 2009).
More than half of Gen X and Baby Boomers
also worry about their identity being
stolen when using digital services, while two in five feel
that not enough fraud protection
measures are in place. In contrast, a third of Gen Z and
Millennials worry about identity theft,
while less than half worry about insufficient
fraud protection.
Baby Boomers are much more likely to be
concerned about not being able to
access their money without an internet connection when using
digital financial services (61%) and not
being able to easily speak with someone if there’s a problem (51%).
In contrast, less than 40% of Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X consumers express
such concerns. Close to two in five Baby Boomers also say
they have difficulty understanding
digital finance services (38%), compared with a third of Gen
X (33%) and around a quarter of Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (23%).
Gen X and Baby Boomers are also twice as
likely as Gen Z consumers to feel that there is not enough government regulation of digital finance at
present. Meanwhile, almost two-fifths of Baby Boomers and a third of Gen Z
are concerned about the reliability of
digital financial services, compared to just 29% of Gen X and 28%
of Millennials. (YouGov Hong Kong) May 17, 2022 Source: https://hk.yougov.com/en-hk/news/2022/05/17/hongkong-digital-finance-concerns-2022/ WEST
EUROPE
743-43-03/Polls A Quarter Of Britons Say They’ve Skipped Meals Due To Rising Cost Of
Living As 3 In 4 Think The Government Is Not Providing Enough Support
New research by Ipsos in the UK shows many Britons report taking
measures in response to rises in their cost of living. As the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze, around two-thirds
say they have kept their heating off when they would normally have turned it
on (65%) while half (52%) are already going out socialising less than normal.
Around a quarter of Britons have already skipped meals in response to
the cost of living crisis (27%), rising to one in three of those on lower
incomes. Other actions taken include changing their supermarkets for cheaper
alternatives (44%), driving their car less (44%) and using price comparison
websites to look for cheaper energy providers (39%). What do Britons expect? Most Britons expect to see increases in the costs of essentials over
the next 6 months. Almost 9 in 10 (87%) believe their utilities (e.g. water,
gas, etc.) will go up while similar proportions expect to see the same effect
on the cost of their food (86%) and other household shopping (80%). Around 3
in 4 think motoring fuel costs will go up (73%) while 64% believe the cost of
going out socialising will increase. More than half (56%) believe costs of
subscriptions, such as media or leisure, will go up while around 4 in 10
(43%) believe their mortgage or rent will become more expensive.
Unsurprisingly, large majorities of Britons are concerned about the
cost of living crisis and the impact it will have. Nine in 10 (89%) are
concerned for the country as a whole while 83% are worried about the impacts
on themselves personally. Eight in 10 (79%) are concerned about the effects
it will have on people in their local area. Where is the crisis expected to be worst? People living in North East/Yorkshire and Humber and Greater London
are most likely to say the cost of living over the next six months will be
worse in their local area than other parts of the country (both 28%).
Meanwhile, those in the South East (30%) are most likely to say their local
area will not be as badly affected as other parts of the country. The role of the UK Government and local
councils Around three-quarters (76%) of Britons think the UK Government is not
providing enough support to their local area on the cost of living, while
only 10% say it is providing the right amount of support and 8% too much.
There is little difference across party lines, 71% of those who voted for the
current Conservative government in 2019 say it is not providing enough
support while 82% of 2019 Labour voters say the same. Just under two-thirds (63%) say their local council is not doing
enough to support people while 16% say it is providing the right amount of
support and 7% too much. Gideon Skinner, head of political research
at Ipsos, said: Concern about inflation is at a thirty-year
high in Ipsos polling, and Britons across the country see the cost of living
as both a national, local, and personal priority. People are already
telling us they have taken a range of actions to mitigate its effects – some
with a direct impact on basics like food and heating – but given the economic
forecasts there may well be more anxiety on the horizon. This is going
to maintain pressure on the Government to take more steps to help people
through the cost of living crisis – already an area where they are less
trusted than Labour, but this is an issue where even their own supporters
want them to do more. (Ipsos MORI) 16 May 2022 743-43-04/Polls Majority Support Return Of Mandatory Masks, But Very Few (28%) Are
Wearing Them Every Time They Shop
With Scotland lifting their rules on wearing masks in crowded places
earlier this month, it is no longer a legal requirement to do so in any of
the British nations. New YouGov data suggests that the public would prefer if
these rules were still in place, however, with six in ten (62%) saying they
support the reintroduction of mandatory masks in shops. Just a third of Brits
(33%) oppose the return of the mask. This figure may be surprising to those who are greeted by maskless
faces in their local supermarket, and they wouldn’t be wrong to be so, as
very few people are donning a mask every time they shop. In fact, just 28% of
people who have been to a shop in the last seven days say they wore a mask on
every time. One in three have worn one most times (19%) or occasionally (14%)
while the largest group (39%) have not worn one at all. This means 72% of
shoppers have not worn a mask at least once in the last week.
On top of this, regular shoppers are wearing masks less often than occasional
shoppers. Just a quarter (24%) who have been to the shops four or more times
wore a mask every time, compared to 27% of those who have been two or three
times, and 35% of those who’ve just shopped once in the last week. This means there is a clear disparity between support for the policy
and personal action. Indeed, most (58%) of those who think masks should be a
legal requirement in shops are not currently religiously wearing one
themselves. Just 42% of those who want the rules reinstated have worn a mask
on every retail visit, 42% most times/occasionally, and 16% on none of the
times they’ve been to a shop in the last week.
The top reason people who want the rules reinstated give for not
wearing a mask is that they forgot to bring one (36%), suggesting that, while
this group may still support the rule in principle, without it they have
become far more lax at always having one to hand. The second most common
reason is feeling the specific shop they were visiting felt safe or spacious
enough not to bother (19%), an indication that they would wear a mask at
busier times or in busier retail areas. One in eight (12%) cite the law change as key to why they are no
longer wearing a mask, while a similar number (11%) say it is because others
are no longer wearing a mask. Both reasons imply that were masks to become
mandatory again, these people would happily start wearing one again. Finally,
11% say it is their personal choice, or they felt there was no need to wear
one. It is this final group that are the most puzzling, as their reasoning
suggests that they would be reluctant to wear a mask if it were to become
law.
As is to be expected, those who have worn a mask sometimes but not
always are far more likely to cite forgetfulness or feeling safe in a specific
shop as their reason not to, while those who haven’t worn one at all are more
likely to say it is because of the law change or that they don’t feel the
need to. (YouGov UK) May 16, 2022 743-43-05/Polls 37% Trust Labour Most To "Reduce You And Your Family's Cost Of
Living" Compared To 22% Who Trust The Conservatives Most
The latest Ipsos
Political Monitor, taken May 11-17th shows the Labour Party extending their
lead over the Conservatives as most trusted on dealing with the rising cost
of living in Britain. Key findings include:
What cutbacks are people making? In the poll, the public were asked what cutbacks they had made since
the start of the year to deal with the rising cost of living. A majority of
Britons claim to have made noticeable reductions in their use of heating,
electricity or water in response.
Other findings in the poll include:
Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research
at Ipsos, says of the findings: The cost of living is dominating the
public’s agenda at the moment, and because they are concerned about it on
both a national and individual level helps explain why there is pressure on
the Chancellor and the Government to act. Inflation has a direct impact on
people who might be taking steps to keep down the cost of their utility bills
– an issue where Britons are more concerned than many other countries - and
weekly shop, and on more pleasurable activities like socialising and treats.
And this is feeding into the national picture alongside more persistent
general economic pessimism, which means politically Labour can take advantage
on this issue. The public do not think rises in the cost of living are solely
the Government’s fault as they see that other factors are also playing a
role, but they do want the Government to provide more support – including
many of their own voters. (Ipsos MORI) 19 May 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/labour-extends-lead-over-conservatives-most-trusted-address-cost-living 743-43-06/Polls Spring 2022: How Many Voters Would Be Willing To Vote For Another
Party
In the ever-shifting world of politics, how many voters are steadfast
in their choice of party? A new YouGov survey asks voters how willing they
would be to vote elsewhere, and who might get their ballot if so. The research shows that among the top
four parties, Green and Lib Dem supporters are more likely to consider
switching. Among current Green party voters, 50% say they would be likely to
consider another party for their vote – including 11% who are “very likely”
to do so. Only 11% would be entirely opposed to voting for another party.
Overall, approaching three in ten Greens (29%) say they would consider voting
Labour, while 20% would mull over a vote for the Lib Dems. Just 6% would
consider a switch to a Conservative vote.
Current Liberal Democrat voters are a close second, with almost half
(48%) open to voting for another party. Around a quarter (28%) say they would
consider a Labour vote, and 18% one for the Greens. Just 10% of Lib Dem
voters would think about casting their ballot for the Conservatives. Around a third (37%) of current Labour voters say they would think
about voting for another party, while 20% would not at all. Some 19% would
consider the Lib Dems for their vote, and 16% the Green party. Only 5% of
current Labour voters would consider voting for the Conservative party. Finally, current Conservative voters are the least likely to say they
would consider another party for their vote, with only 22% open to doing so
and 33% completely opposed to the idea. Just 6% would consider switching to a
Labour vote, with a similar proportion willing to consider a Lib Dem vote
(5%). This greater reluctance to consider other parties among current
Conservative voters could be a result of wavering 2019 voters already looking
elsewhere, with only steadfast Tory voters remaining in the Conservative camp
for the moment. Among Reform UK voters, 42% would consider a vote for another party,
versus 16% who would not at all. Of SNP voters, one in four (27%) would think
about doing do, versus 28% who would be opposed to voting elsewhere. However,
the sample sizes of these two voting blocs are too small to analyse further. (YouGov UK) May 19, 2022 743-43-07/Polls Only 16% Of Scottish Football Fans Think A European Victory Is Likely
For A Scottish Team
Rangers came within touching distance of winning the Europa League
last night, going to penalties against Eintracht Frankfurt. But it was not to
be, with Frankfurt snatching victory 5-4. Such a loss may not have been
surprising to fans, however. YouGov research among Scots (carried out in mid-April, long before
the Europa League final) shows that football fans are not confident in their
domestic teams’ abilities at higher levels. Only 16% say it is likely that a
Scottish team will win a European tournament such as the Europa League or
Champions League in the next 20 years. Eight in ten (80%) think it unlikely a
Scottish side will do so, including 30% saying it's "not at all likely"
they will win.
Hope on the international stage is not lost for Scottish football
fans, however, with the Scottish national side still to play qualifying
matches for the 2022 World Cup. The research shows that fans have confidence
in their national team, as 72% say it’s likely that Scotland will qualify for
a World Cup in the next 20 years. This includes nearly a quarter who think it
is "very" likely (23%). Another quarter (24%) are not confident
that Scotland will qualify, although only 3% say it is “not at all” likely. Back home, fans think it is unlikely that a team other than Rangers
or Celtic will win the Scottish Premier League in the next two decades (83%)
– 45% say it's "not at all likely". Only 15% think it is likely
that another team will beat both Rangers and Celtic to the top spot. (YouGov UK) May 19, 2022 743-43-08/Polls Majority Of Scots Are Concerned About Climate Change And Are Aware Of
Its Risks To Scotland
ClimateXChange and
the Scottish Government commissioned Ipsos to conduct research to understand
the Scottish public’s views on climate risks and opportunities, and their
attitudes towards a range of adaptation measures. A survey of the Scottish
public (16+) was conducted online using the Ipsos
KnowledgePanel. Concern about climate change impacts Echoing recent trends, concern about climate change was high: 82%
were concerned about climate change generally, and 76% were concerned about
its impacts on Scotland specifically. Around half (49%) said their level of
concern had increased over the last 12 months, while the same proportion said
it had remained the same (and just 1% said it had decreased).
Almost two thirds (60%) felt that Scotland was already feeling the
effects of climate change, while a further 13% said we would feel them within
the next 10 years and 21% some time beyond that. Extreme weather Extreme weather events were generally seen as becoming more common in
Scotland, particularly floods (83% felt these were more common),
milder/wetter winters (79%), heavy rain/storms (77%) and heatwaves (67%).
Findings may reflect the timing of the survey, which took place during a
period of extreme weather (Scotland was experiencing the impacts of Storm
Arwen during the same week as the survey). Flooding and heavy rain/storms were seen as the most pressing
problems for Scotland – around half said these were already serious problems.
Other weather-related events were generally viewed more as future problems.
Respondents were less likely to feel weather-related events were a
serious problem for the area they lived in than they were for Scotland as a
whole - no more than a third saw any of the events as a current serious
problem for their local area. Risks to natural and built environment Awareness of risks to the natural environment in Scotland was
generally high, with the most well-known risks being: loss of or decline in
wildlife in seas and rivers (70%), coastal erosion (69%) and loss or decline
in wildlife on the land (67%). Similarly, awareness of risks to the built
environment was also high, particularly in relation to: damage to roads, rail
lines and bridges (84%), disruption to electricity supply (73%), and damage
to buildings (71%). As with extreme weather, respondents were less likely to view risks
to the natural and built environment as serious problems for their local area
than for Scotland as a whole. Adapting to climate change impacts Just over three quarters (78%) agreed that we need to adapt to
climate change immediately and urgently.
88% had either already taken or planned to take action to adapt to
climate change. The most common actions likely to be taken in future related
to helping or supporting other people, rather than making physical changes to
properties. The most common were: supporting charities (55%), persuading
others to take action (52%), and helping support people in the community
vulnerable to flooding or heatwaves (49%). Over three quarters (78%) were confident that people in their local
community would act together if they were faced with severe events (such as
flooding or extreme weather) and two thirds (66%) said they would be willing
to give up some of their time to help their local community prepare for the
impacts of climate change. There was less confidence in the Scottish
Government taking action or in the commitment of world leaders to tackle
climate change.
(Ipsos MORI) 20 May 2022 743-43-09/Polls 63% Of French People Surveyed Say They Have Never Forgotten Mother's
Day
A party to remember 63% of French people
surveyed say they have never forgotten Mother's Day. Almost half of the
mothers surveyed (49%) would be upset if their children did not wish them. Only 24% of respondents say they have already forgotten this holiday
(compared to 31% in 2021). The younger generations seem to be less
involved: 43% of 25-34 year olds and 41% of 18-24 year olds have already
forgotten about it. What do they think of this party? Regarding the name, the
majority of French people (58%) do not want Mother's Day and Father's Day to
be renamed "Parents' Day". However, more than 3 out of 10
people would be in favor of it (31%), a figure pulled up by 25-34 year olds
(40%). Moreover, if more than 7 out of 10 respondents (71%) think that this
holiday is too commercial, it is nonetheless important for a majority of
French people (61%). Note: Mother's Day seems to be less and
less popular, however, since 67% of French people found it important in 2021
(a drop of 6 points). What are they planning to offer? Flowers remain this
year again the favored gift for Mother's Day (25%). At the same time, 8% of respondents intend to offer a perfume, a
significant drop of 3 points compared to 2021 (11%). We also observe that personalized gifts (photo album, mug or
personalized clothing, etc.) are particularly popular with 25-34 year olds
(12% vs 6% nat rep).
Note: 26% of French people do not intend to
offer a gift this year. Among the French people surveyed who intend to give a
gift, almost one in two people (47%) have a maximum budget of €40. 35%
of respondents say they have a higher budget and 19% have not yet defined it. While the majority of respondents who plan to give a gift for Mother's
Day say that their budget has increased or remained the same as last year
(64%), we nevertheless note that 30% have seen their budget decrease,
compared to 14% in 2021. What activities would the French like to do
with their mother? We asked the French to find out what new activities they
would like / would have liked to do with their mother. Going on a trip comes first, at 22%, followed by a meal in a starred
restaurant (19%) and a thalassotherapy cure (18%). (YouGov France) May 16, 2022 Source: https://fr.yougov.com/news/2022/05/16/la-fete-des-meres-importante-pour-les-francais/ 743-43-10/Polls 73 Percent Of Consumers Are Interested In Smart Garden Tools
Spring is here, everything is green and blooming and the German
garden owners throw themselves into work. Gardening sometimes takes a
lot of time - this is where smart technologies can offer significant
support. Garden lovers can now choose from a wide range of smart garden
helpers such as robotic lawnmowers, irrigation systems and cameras. In the new YouGov short study " Smart
Gardening - how German consumers feel about smart technologies and devices
for the garden " we examine the interest and attitudes towards
smart gardening technologies. Smart gardening - very well known, little
used so far Smart gardening technologies are known to the majority of German
consumers (78 percent) and interest is high among these experts (73
percent). The best known are currently robotic lawn mowers (58 percent),
closely followed by irrigation systems (55 percent) and lighting (51
percent). Smart fertilizer systems (18 percent) and plant monitors (14
percent), on the other hand, are still relatively unknown.
Consumers who are familiar with smart gardening are particularly
interested in irrigation systems (37 percent) and robotic lawnmowers (33
percent), while the relatively unknown fertilizer systems generate little
interest (7 percent). Rejection of smart gardening has different
reasons Although the majority of German consumers are familiar with smart
gardening, this technology still appears to be hardly ever used, with just
under every tenth respondent (9 percent) using smart gardening
devices. 19 percent plan to use it, while 32 percent are not
interested. Rejection of smart technology in the garden has a variety of
reasons, almost half of those surveyed (46 percent) prefer to do it
themselves, some are also put off by the price of many devices (37 percent),
possible complications with the complex installation are also mentioned (20
Percent). Poor Internet connections or possible hacker attacks, on the
other hand, hardly play a role (11 and 8 percent respectively). Smart gardening attracts younger consumers While the 55+ generation has little interest in smart gardening tools
(8 percent) and only a few in this age group plan to use them (15 percent),
smart technology in the garden is particularly popular with younger consumer
groups (25-34 year olds). . 12 percent of this age group actively use
smart garden tools and a fifth (21 percent) intend to do so. Growing interest in smart indoor gardening Consumers are also very interested in “smart indoor gardening” (38
percent). With smart indoor gardening, neither a balcony nor a garden is
required; instead, herbs and plants can be grown in the home with the help of
intelligent lighting and irrigation technologies. This technology also
tends to appeal to younger consumers, while only 27 percent of the 55+
consumer group expresses an interest, more than half of the 25-34 year olds
are open to it (56 percent).
(YouGov Germany) May 17, 2022 Source: https://yougov.de/news/2022/05/17/73-prozent-der-verbraucher-interessieren-sich-fur-/ NORTH
AMERICA
743-43-11/Polls More Than Half Of Americans Live Within An Hour Of Extended Family
Most Americans value living close to their families – and more than
half of them actually do, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Overall, 55% of U.S. adults say they live within an hour’s drive of
at least some of their extended family members. Roughly equal shares of
Americans say they live near all or most of their extended family (28%) or
near some extended family (27%). Another 24% of adults say they live within
an hour’s drive of only a few family members, while one-in-five say they do
not live near any extended family members. Only 1% of Americans say they
don’t have extended family at all, according to the survey, which defined
extended family as children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers,
sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and in-laws who don’t currently live with the
respondent. Those with the highest education levels are the least likely to live close to
extended family. About four-in-ten adults with a postgraduate degree (42%)
have at least some extended family members within an hour’s drive, compared
with 48% of those with a bachelor’s degree, 56% of those with some college
experience and 63% of adults with a high school diploma or less education.
About a third of adults with a postgraduate degree (32%) do not live near any
extended family, compared with 14% of those with a high school education or
less. How we did this Having extended family nearby also differs by income status. Adults
with lower and middle incomes are more likely than upper-income adults to
live near at least some extended family. In contrast, upper-income adults are
the most likely to say they live near no extended family. Roughly one-quarter
of upper-income adults say this (27%), compared with 20% of middle-income and
16% of lower-income adults.
Asian Americans are less likely than White, Black and Hispanic adults
to be living near all or most of their extended family: 18% of Asian adults
say this, compared with about three-in-ten in each of the other groups. Asian
adults are also the most likely to say they live near none of their extended
family (33%). This could be due in part to the high share of Asian American
adults (75%) who were born in another country and whose extended families may
still be living there. Adults born in another country or in Puerto Rico and
the other U.S. territories (25%) are more likely than those born in the
United States (19%) to say none of their extended family members live nearby. There are notable regional differences across the U.S. in the shares
of adults who live near at least some family, with adults in the Northeast
and Midwest being the most likely to do so (62% each). Slightly more than
half of adults in the South (53%) say they live near at least some extended
family, while fewer than half of adults in the West (46%) say the same.
Adults living in rural communities are more likely than those in
urban or suburban communities to live near at least some extended family.
Roughly six-in-ten adults in rural communities (62%) say they are within an
hour of all, most or some of their extended family, compared with 54% of
adults in suburban areas and 50% in urban areas. Adults ages 50 to 64 are more likely than other age groups to live
within an hour of extended family. Six-in-ten adults ages 50 to 64 live near
at least some extended family, compared with 53% of those 18 to 29, 52% of
those 30 to 49 and 55% of those 65 and older. Adults in multigenerational
households, who already live with some family members, are more likely
than adults in other types of households to live near at least some extended
family. In addition to the family members they live with, some 64% of adults
in multigenerational households live within an hour’s drive of at least some
extended family, compared with 53% of adults who do not live in multigenerational
households. Adults in the so-called “sandwich
generation” are also more likely to live near family. These are adults
who have a parent age 65 or older and are raising at least one child younger
than 18 or providing financial support to an adult child. Roughly six-in-ten
adults in the sandwich generation live close to at least some extended
family, compared with a slightly smaller share of adults not in the sandwich
generation (54%).
An overwhelming majority of Americans value having family close by,
according to the same survey. Three-quarters of adults say it is at least
somewhat important to them personally to live in a community where family is
nearby, including 36% who say it is very important. Those who value having
family nearby often do live
near their relatives: Some 62% of adults who say living near family is at
least somewhat important to them live near some or more of their extended
family members. In contrast, 34% of adults who say having family is not too
important or not important at all live near at least some extended family. Research has shown that living near extended family is linked to
real-life economic impacts. In particular, married women with young children
are more
likely to work or be in the labor force if they live near their
mothers or mothers-in-law, as child
care can often be a challenge for working parents.
Additionally, informal
caregiving by adult children for their aging parents helps decrease
medical expenses and is often preferred by the elderly over formal care. The value that Americans place on having family nearby varies by
gender and age. Women are more likely than men to say that having family
nearby is very important (42% vs. 29%), although roughly equal shares of men
and women say they actually do have at least some extended family nearby (57%
of women and 54% of men say this). Among adults who live near at least some
extended family, half of women say living in a community with family nearby
is very important, compared with roughly four-in-ten men (38%). Adults 65 and older are the most likely to say having family nearby
is very important to them personally. More than four-in-ten (44%) say this,
compared with 38% of adults ages 50 to 64, 33% of those 18 to 29 and 31% of
those 30 to 49. (PEW) MAY 18, 2022 743-43-12/Polls 41% In U S Worry A Great Deal About Race Relations
Before a White man targeting Black Americans killed 10 people and
wounded three others in a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, late last week,
41% of U.S. adults said they worry "a great deal" about race
relations. Another 29% worry "a fair amount," while a combined
three in 10 worry "only a little" (17%) or "not at all"
(13%). The percentage of Americans highly concerned in the March 1-18 poll
is on par with the elevated level of concern seen in most years since 2017.
Yet, it is a bit lower than in March 2021, 10 months after George Floyd's
murder, when 48% worried a great deal.
Gallup has monitored Americans' concern about race relations annually
since 2001 as part of a March survey that asks respondents to rate
their concerns about numerous issues facing the country. After registering below 25% from 2002 through 2014, the percentage worried
a great deal rose to 28% by the next reading, in 2015. This spanned a period
of several prominent cases of police officers not being charged or convicted
of murder in the deaths of unarmed Black men killed in police encounters. Public concern about race relations climbed further as more such
cases emerged, reaching
42% in 2017. Concern remained at this higher level from 2018 to 2019,
before slipping to 31% in 2020. This decline mainly reflected the more
positive attitudes of Republicans about the
state of the country, just before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Concern about race relations then reached a record-high 48% in 2021,
Gallup's first measure of this question taken after Floyd's death. In this year's update, race relations tied with illegal immigration
as a mid-level concern and was just slightly below the average 46% for all 14
issues rated in 2022. Worry Has Increased Among All Racial/Ethnic
Groups Americans' concern
about race relations has increased among all major racial/ethnic groups since
2014, as seen in combined data across four distinct time periods. These groupings not only summarize the
data at key points, but also provide the larger sample sizes needed to report
the views of Black and Hispanic adults in addition to White adults:
The trends show that worry about race relations increased sharply
across racial/ethnic groups between 2001-2014 and 2015-2019. Concern then
eased among White adults in 2020 while staying fairly flat among Black and
Hispanic adults. Since then, concern about race relations has increased among all
racial/ethnic groups -- although more among Black adults, rising 20
percentage points to 74%, than among White adults (up 15 points to 39%) and
Hispanic adults (up nine points to 49%).
Bottom Line Two years after George
Floyd's murder, Americans' concern about race relations remains in the
elevated range seen in recent years and could trend higher in the wake of the
recent racially motivated mass killing in Buffalo. When thinking of race relations, Americans may be focused generally
on how different racial groups in the country relate to each other, such
as Black
and White adults or Asian
and White adults. But they could also be factoring in the perceived
extent of racism in society and discord over policy prescriptions to
address it. All aspects of race relations have received significant public
attention in the years since Black adults like Eric Garner (killed in 2014),
Michael Brown (2014), Tamir Rice (2014), Freddie Gray (2015), Philando
Castile (2016) and Breonna Taylor (2020) became household names over their
deaths at the hands of police. Video footage of the excessive force used
against George Floyd in 2020 sparked global protests and discussion that only
sharpened the focus. Concern about race relations measured in Gallup's trend since Floyd's
death has increased the most among Black Americans, three-quarters of whom
have, on average, worried about race relations a great deal these past two
years. That is nearly double the percentage who worried this much two decades
ago and also nearly twice the current rate among White Americans. The
persistent racial gap in worry could reflect a more fundamental gap in
beliefs about the magnitude of discrimination
against Black Americans and the solutions needed to redress it. (Gallup) MAY 19, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/392705/concern-race-relations-persists-floyd-death.aspx 743-43-13/Polls Around A Third Of Black Adults (32%) Said They Worried Every Day Or
Almost Every Day That They Might Be Threatened Or Attacked
Safety concerns were top of mind for many Black Americans well before
a White gunman killed 10 people – all of them Black – in a mass
shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, on May 14.
In a Pew
Research Center survey conducted in mid-April, around a third of Black
adults (32%) said they worried every day or almost every day that they might
be threatened or attacked because of their race or ethnicity. Around
one-in-five Asian Americans (21%) said the same, as did 14% of Hispanic
adults and 4% of White adults. In the same survey, around three-in-ten Black adults who said being
threatened or attacked was ever a concern (28%) said they had made changes to
their daily schedule or routine in the past year due to those fears. Around a
third of Asian adults (36%) and around one-in-five Hispanic adults (22%) said
they had taken such precautions, as did 12% of White adults. How we did this Black Americans are disproportionately likely to be victims of hate
crimes, according to data
collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than a third (35%)
of the 8,263 criminal incidents identified in the FBI’s hate crimes report
for 2020 involved anti-Black or African American bias, even though Black
people account for about 12% of the U.S. population. The FBI’s statistics are
widely considered to be an undercount because many hate crimes are
not reported to police and many police departments do
not submit complete data to the FBI for national reporting purposes. Widespread concern among Black Americans
about gun violence, violent crime While Black Americans stand out for their concern about being
threatened or attacked because of their race or ethnicity, they are also more
likely than Americans of other racial or ethnic backgrounds to be concerned
about broader issues of gun violence and violent crime. In a Center
survey conducted in late April and early May, nearly eight-in-ten Black
adults (78%) said gun violence is a very big problem in the United States
today – far higher than the share of Hispanic (57%) and White adults (42%)
who said the same. Similarly, 77% of Black adults said violent crime is a
very big problem in the country today, compared with 54% of Hispanic adults
and half of White adults. (While the survey included adults of all major
racial and ethnic backgrounds, there were not enough Asian adults in the
sample to provide reliable estimates of their views of gun violence and
violent crime.)
In surveys conducted since late 2018, Black adults have consistently
been more likely than Hispanic and White adults to see both gun violence and
violent crime as very big national problems. The late April and early May survey asked U.S. adults whether they
see each of 12 issues – ranging from climate change to the coronavirus
outbreak – as national problems. While inflation topped
the list of concerns among U.S. adults overall, gun violence and
violent crime were among the main concerns for Black adults. Majorities of
Black adults also said racism (73%), inflation (68%) and the affordability of
health care (63%) were very big national problems.
Other recent surveys by the Center have documented concern
about local violence
and crime among Black Americans. An October 2021 survey of Black adults asked respondents in an open-ended
format to identify the most important issue facing the community where they
live. The most common issue, volunteered
by 17% of Black adults, was violence or crime, including references to
specific problems such as shootings, drug activity or theft. In a separate
survey, also conducted in October 2021, around four-in-ten Black adults
(42%) said crime was a major problem in their local community, compared with
smaller shares of Hispanic (30%), Asian (24%) and White adults (17%). The recent survey findings come as the nation confronts an increase
in murders and other
forms of violent crime. The national murder rate rose 30% between 2019
and 2020 – the largest
year-over-year increase since at least 1905. Gun-related murders, in particular, have been on the rise. Around
eight-in-ten (79%) of the murders that took place in 2020 involved a firearm,
the highest
such percentage since at least 1968. The national gun murder rate is at
its highest point since the mid-1990s. Black Americans have
long been disproportionately affected by gun murders, and that has
increasingly been the case in recent years, according to a study published this
month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The gun
murder rate among Black Americans rose nearly 40% between 2019 and 2020, far
outpacing the percentage increase among people in other racial and ethnic
groups. Black Americans were about 12 times as likely as White Americans to
be the victim of a gun murder in 2020, the study found. (PEW) MAY 20, 2022 743-43-14/Polls 51% Of Americans Favor, 47% Oppose Nuclear Energy
Americans are evenly split on whether nuclear energy should be a
source of electricity in the U.S., with 51% in favor and 47% opposed. Three
years ago, the two camps were tied at 49%, while in 2016, the majority (54%)
opposed nuclear power. Americans' relatively limited support for nuclear energy in recent
years contrasts with more solid backing from 2004 to 2015, when majorities of
between 53% and 62% favored it.
The higher support for nuclear energy seen earlier this century was
likely related to rising oil and gas pump prices in that period, making
nuclear more appealing as an affordable alternative. The latest results are based on Gallup's annual Environment survey,
conducted March 1-18. Rising oil prices have also been an issue this year and
may explain why support is higher now than in 2016, though it is unclear why
support has not yet returned to 2009-2010 levels. Republicans Most Supportive of Nuclear
Power Among Party Groups President Joe Biden has
advocated for nuclear power as one element of his clean energy plan to get
the U.S. economy to net-zero
emissions by 2050. In addition to the $1.8 billion Biden allocated for
nuclear reactors in his 2022 budget, the administration recently announced it
will make $6 billion in infrastructure money available to nuclear power
companies to help prevent closures. Despite Biden's promotion of nuclear energy, Democrats continue to be
far less likely than Republicans to favor using it. The pattern is in line
with Democratic-leaning environmental groups' long-standing opposition to
nuclear power; this has been focused on concerns about the environmental
risks posed by nuclear waste and accidents, as well as their preference for
renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal. Currently, 39% of Democrats versus 60% of Republicans and 53% of
independents favor nuclear energy. The 21-percentage-point gap between
Republicans and Democrats is similar to the average for the past two decades.
More generally, it appears Biden has work to do to convince Americans
who are highly
concerned about climate change that nuclear power needs to be part
of the green energy agenda. Gallup's Environment poll found that barely a
third of Americans who worry "a great deal" about climate change
favor the use of nuclear energy (34%), while 62% oppose it. By contrast,
majorities of adults who worry "a fair amount" (53%) or less (70%)
about climate change are supportive of nuclear energy. As Gallup
has found previously, support for nuclear energy also differs sharply by
gender, while it varies modestly by education. Older adults are slightly more
positive than those younger than 55, but differences by age have been less
consistent over time.
Bottom Line Americans remain
divided on using nuclear energy, but
support could increase as consumers face even higher gas prices than when the
poll was conducted two months ago. If Biden was already inclined to advocate
for nuclear power to achieve his climate goals, the political pressure
presented by skyrocketing gas prices may only increase his resolve, and that,
in turn, may sway some members of his own party. (Gallup) MAY 20, 2022 Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/392831/americans-divided-nuclear-energy.aspx 743-43-15/Polls Nearly All Canadians 45+ Years Want To Age At Home, But Only 1 In 10
(12%) Say They Can Afford The Cost Of A Personal Support Worker
To mark Personal Support Workers (PSW) Day on May 19, HomeEquity Bank
and Ipsos conducted a survey among Canadians aged 45+ to learn more about the
important ways in which personal support workers (PSWs) make a difference in
the lives of those they support (and their loved ones). The survey also
sought to uncover Canadians’ attitudes towards home care and how they may be
planning to finance their own potential home care in the future. PSWs Play a Role in the Physical and
Emotional Wellbeing of Seniors Nearly one in five (18%) Canadians aged 45+ years report either
having a PSW helping them (3%) or knowing someone who has PSW support (15%).
A further 18% think that while they do not have a PSW now, they may need one in the future. For those who have a PSW, know someone who has PSW support, or think
they may need this support in the future, the value of a PSW is clear. Ways
in which respondents highlight the assistance PSWs can provide include
carrying out household tasks (59%), help in maintaining personal hygiene
(51%), help in meal preparation (43%), help with medical treatments (40%),
and allowing those they support to have a higher quality of life (40%). Beyond physical assistance, respondents highlighted the emotional and
interpersonal value of PSWs, including how PSWs help with social contact
(31%) and provide empathy and emotional support (30%). These data are
reinforced by the fact that 93% of Canadians aged 45+ years agree (45%
strongly/48% somewhat) that PSWs positively impact the lives of Canadians of
all ages. Most Want to Age at Home, But May Need to
Make Budget Cuts to Afford It The research found that 95% of Canadian adults aged 45+ years agree
(57% strongly/38% somewhat) that being able to age in-place would allow them
to maintain their independence, comfort, and dignity. Perhaps accordingly,
92% agree (52% strongly/40% somewhat) that as they age, they would prefer
in-home care over moving to a long-term care facility. Eight in ten (79%)
agree (25% strongly/53% somewhat) that they would only consider long-term
care or assisted living if they couldn’t afford in-home care. While the idea of ageing at home is appealing, the cost of in-home
care may require making some financial adjustments. The survey shows that
only 12% of respondents report having enough room in their budget for in-home
care, which can cost between $150 and $600 per day. When asked what they
would cut in their budget if they needed to afford a personal care worker,
respondents highlighted the following financial sacrifices they would
consider:
(Ipsos Canada) 19 May 2022 AUSTRALIA
743-43-16/Polls ALP 53% Leads The L-NP 47% And Set To Win The Election With A Swing
Of 4.5% Since The 2019 Federal Election
The ALP’s lead over the L-NP has been cut
to 6% points as early voting began last week but it still holds a clear
election winning lead before this week’s Federal Election: ALP 53% (down 1.5%
points in a week) ahead of the L-NP 47% (up 1.5% points) on a two-party
preferred basis. Preferences of minor party voters have been
allocated based on preference flows at the 2019 Federal Election according to
the latest Roy Morgan Poll conducted from May 9-15, 2022. If a Federal Election had been held last
weekend the ALP would have won a majority. Analysis by State shows
the ALP leads in four States including NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and
Tasmania while the L-NP leads in
Queensland and South Australia. This Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention and Government
Confidence was conducted via telephone and online interviewing of 1,366
Australian electors aged 18+ from Monday May 9 – Sunday May 15, 2022. There
were 6% of electors (down 1% point) who wouldn’t say who they support. Primary support for both major parties is
low at only 34% each for the ALP and L-NP Primary support for the
ALP was down by 1.5% points to 34% this week and is now level with the L-NP on 34%. Support for the Greens
was unchanged at 13% which would be the minor party’s best result at a
Federal Election – beating the 11.8% it received just over a decade ago in
2010 by about 1% point. Support for One Nation was unchanged on 4% and support for Clive
Palmer’s United Australia Party was unchanged at 1%. Support for Other
Parties was up 1% point to 5% while support for Independents was up 0.5%
points to 9%. If these figures are predictive of what happens at the Federal
Election this will be the first time since 1906 that both major parties have
received less than 40% of the vote at an election. When looking at primary support, and including those who can’t say
who they support, the ALP and L-NP both had the support of 32% of electors
and there were 36% of people who either supported a minor party, independent
or who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) say who they supported – a higher proportion of
electors than supported either of the major parties. Voting Intention by State shows the ALP
leading in four of six States – including NSW & Victoria Voting analysis by
State has all been calculated based on how preferences flowed at the 2019
Federal Election. The results this week show the ALP leading on a two-party
preferred basis in four States (NSW,
Victoria, WA and Tasmania) with the L-NP leading in Queensland and SA. The ALP leads in NSW on 52% (up 0.5% points from a week ago) compared
to the L-NP on 48% (down 0.5% points).This result represents a swing of 3.8%
points to the ALP since the 2019 Federal Election. A uniform swing of this
magnitude in NSW would deliver the seat of Robertson to the ALP. The ALP leads strongly in Victoria with the ALP on 57% (down 4%
points) well ahead of the L-NP on 43% (up 4% points). This result represents
a swing of 3.9% points to the ALP in Victoria since the 2019 Federal
Election. A uniform swing of this magnitude in Victoria would deliver the
seats of Chisholm and Higgins to the ALP. The LNP leads in Queensland on 53% (down 0.5% points) ahead of the
ALP on 47% (up 0.5% points). This result still represents a swing of 5.4%
points to the ALP since the 2019 Federal Election. A uniform swing of this
magnitude in Queensland would deliver the seats of Longman, Leichhardt,
Dickson and Brisbane to the ALP. Although from a small sample, the ALP has retained its lead in
Western Australia on 54.5% (down 3% points) compared to the L-NP on 45.5% (up
3% points). This result represents a swing of 10% points to the ALP since the
2019 Federal Election. A uniform swing to the ALP of this magnitude in
Western Australia would deliver the seats of Swan, Pearce and Hasluck to the
ALP. In South Australia, and again from a small sample, the L-NP on 51% is
now ahead of the ALP on 49%. This result represents a swing of 1.7% points to
the L-NP since the 2019 Federal Election and would result in no seats
changing hands in South Australia. In Tasmania, and again from a small sample, the ALP on 58% leads the
L-NP on 42%, representing a swing of 2% points to the ALP since the 2019
Federal Election. A uniform swing of this magnitude to the ALP would deliver
the seat of Bass to the ALP. The results from this week’s Roy Morgan Poll
suggest the seats of Lingiari and Solomon in the Northern Territory would
both be retained by the ALP. ALP set to win a narrow majority based on
either State-by-State swings or a uniform national swing Combining the
‘State-by-State swings’ suggests the ALP is on track to win 11 seats around
Australia which would deliver the ALP a narrow majority in Parliament with a
total of 80 seats on the floor of
Parliament. A uniform swing of 4.5% nationally would produce a very similar
result with the ALP winning 10 seats around Australia for a narrow
Parliamentary majority with a total of 79 seats – although some of the seats
changing hands would be slightly different. Roy Morgan Government Confidence up 2pts to
83 – first increase since Easter The weekly Roy Morgan
Government Confidence Rating was up 2pts to 83 this week after two
consecutive weeks of falls. However, there are still far more Australians, 49.5% (down 1.5%
points), who say the country is ‘heading in the wrong direction’ compared to
just under a third of Australians, 32.5% (up 0.5% points), who say the
country is ‘heading in the right direction’. Government Confidence is now below the neutral level of 100 in all
six States but is clearly highest in South Australia at 99.5. Government
Confidence is close to the national average in Queensland (85.5), Tasmania
(84), New South Wales (83) and Victoria (82) and well below that in Western
Australia at 77.5. Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says the
latest Roy Morgan Poll shows a tightening race to the line but the ALP still
holds an election-winning lead: ALP 53% cf. L-NP 47%: “Today’s Roy Morgan Poll on Federal voting
intention shows the ALP in prime position for a victory at this week’s
Federal Election but its lead has narrowed to 6% points: ALP 53% cf. L-NP 47%
on a two party preferred basis when preferences are allocated based on
preference flows at the 2019 Federal Election. “An ALP victory with 53% of the two-party
preferred vote represents a swing of 4.5% to the ALP since the 2019 Federal
Election when the L-NP on 51.5% narrowly beat the ALP on 48.5%. However, the
low support for the two major parties means there is still the prospect of
Australians waking up to a hung Parliament on Sunday morning. “A uniform swing of 4.5% to the ALP at this
week’s Federal Election would deliver the ALP a net gain of 11 seats for a
total of 80 seats in the House of Representatives – enough to win a small
majority in the House in which 77 seats are needed to guarantee a majority on
the floor of Parliament after appointing a Speaker. (76/150). “The tight nature of this week’s Roy Morgan
Poll means it is more important than ever for the ALP to finish strongly in
the last few days of the campaign. The final Roy Morgan Poll the week prior to the 2019
Federal Election showed the ALP 52% cf. L-NP 48% on a two-party preferred
basis. “A strong week of campaigning by Prime
Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 garnered a 3.5% swing to the L-NP in the last
week and an unexpected election victory for the Coalition. Morrison will be
hoping to repeat the feat this week while ALP Leader Anthony Albanese will be
hoping to retain the election-winning lead the Opposition has held all year. “Prime Minister Morrison’s announcement at
the Liberal campaign launch on Sunday that first home buyers will be able to
withdraw up to 40% of their superannuation to contribute towards a housing
deposit has sparked much debate about whether this policy can be the catalyst
for another late swing to the Government. “Although the effectiveness of the
Coalition’s new housing policy is yet to be seen, when Roy Morgan asked whether Australians in financial
difficulty should be able to access up to $20,000 of their superannuation
money during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic – a large majority of 79% of Australians
agreed they should be able to do so. “Nevertheless, if the ALP is able to record
a two-party preferred vote of 53% at this week’s Federal Election it will be
the party’s highest vote share at a Federal Election since Bob Hawke’s
victory at the 1983 Federal Election: ALP 53.2% cf. L-NP 46.8%. “However, there is a big difference between
the 1983 Federal Election and now. In 1983 there were no cross-benchers for
new Prime Minister Bob Hawke to deal with in the House of Representatives. At
this year’s Federal Election if the ALP fail to secure a majority of seats in
the House of Representatives there could be eight or nine or even more
cross-benchers to deal with in forming a minority government after the
election. “The reason there could be so many
crossbenchers (there are currently six) is because the primary vote shares of
the two major parties are so low – at only 34% each. This means 32% of voters
are opting to vote for a minor party or independent. Support for the Greens
is at 13% (which would be a record result for them) while a further 9% are
indicating they want to vote for an independent and another 10% are picking
another minor party. “The high level of support for minor
parties and independents means the cross-bench after the election could be
the largest we have seen in Australia for decades. In fact, the last time the
two major parties both received fewer than 40% of the vote at an Australian
Federal Election was more than a century ago – at the 1906 Federal Election
(Anti-Socialists 38.2% cf. Labour 36.6%).” Electors were asked: “If an
election for the House of Representatives were held today – which party will
receive your first preference? and “Generally speaking, do you feel that things in Australia are
heading in the right direction or would you say things are seriously heading
in the wrong direction?” Australian Federal Voting Intention:
Two-Party Preferred (2019-2022)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source. Average interviews per
fortnight n=2,000. May 2019–May 2022. Base:
Australian electors 18+. Preferences allocated by how people stated their
preference until May 1, 2022. Preferences have been allocated by voting
patterns at the 2019 Federal Election for results after May 1, 2022. Australian Federal Voting Intention:
Two-Party Preferred (2019-2022) – Female Electors
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source. Average interviews per
fortnight n=2,000. May 2019–May 2022. Base:
Australian electors 18+. Preferences allocated by how people stated their
preference until May 1, 2022. Preferences have been allocated by voting
patterns at the 2019 Federal Election for results after May 1, 2022. Australian Federal Voting Intention:
Two-Party Preferred (2019-2022) – Male Electors
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source. Average interviews per
fortnight n=2,000. May 2019–May 2022. Base:
Australian electors 18+. Preferences allocated by how people stated their
preference until May 1, 2022. Preferences have been allocated by voting
patterns at the 2019 Federal Election for results after May 1, 2022. (Roy Morgan) May 17 2022 743-43-17/Polls Australian Unemployment Jumps To 9.7% In April; Highest Since July
2021 But Under-Employment Unchanged
The latest Roy Morgan employment series
data shows unemployment increasing by 1.9% points to 9.7% in April - the
biggest monthly increase since the initial stages of the pandemic just over
two years ago. However, under-employment was unchanged at 8.4% in April. There was a sharp spike in unemployment in April up 278,000
to 1.41 million Australians (9.7% of the workforce) while under-employment
was up 7,000 to 1.23 million (unchanged at 8.4% of the workforce). Overall
unemployment and under-employment was up 285,000 at 2.64 million (18.1%).
Compared to early March 2020, before the
nation-wide lockdown, in April 2022 there were almost 500,000 more
Australians either unemployed or under-employed (+2.5% points) even though
overall employment (13,151,000) is almost 300,000 higher than it was
pre-COVID-19 (12,872,000). Roy Morgan’s unemployment figure of 9.7%
for April is more than double the ABS estimate for March 2022 of 4.0%. However, the ABS figure for March
notes there were 504,100 workers who worked fewer hours than usual due to
‘bad weather or plant breakdown’ – an increase of 454,900 on the same figure
for February (49,200). In addition, there were
577,300 workers who worked fewer
hours than usual due to illness, personal injury or sick leave compared to an
average of 418,700 for the month of March over the six years from March 2016
– March 2021. This equates to a difference of 158,600 in March 2022 above the
average for the month of March for the previous six years. Combining these two figures shows there were 613,500 workers who were
classified as employed who worked fewer hours than one would have expected in
March due to either the severe weather events and flooding in Queensland and
NSW (454,900) or due to sickness and ill health due to the widespread
outbreaks of COVID-19 (158,600). Roy Morgan Unemployment &
Under-employment (2019-2022)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2019 – April
2022. Average monthly interviews 5,000. Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says the
ongoing impact of COVID-19 on employment markets was evident in April as cases
of the ‘Omicron variant’ receded after peaking in March and forced isolation
rules for close contacts were significantly reduced: “The latest Roy Morgan employment estimates
for April show unemployment up 1.9% points to 9.7% - the highest since the
start of last year’s ‘Delta wave’ in July 2021 (9.7%). In better news,
under-employment was unchanged at 8.4% for the month. “There is an important question of why
there was such a large increase in unemployment and it can be found when
looking at the trends for full-time and part-time employment. Full-time
employment actually increased in April, up 31,000 to 8,709,000, however there
was a large drop in part-time employment, down 270,000 to 4,442,000 which fed
into the increasing unemployment in the month. “We have been discussing the impact of
COVID-19 and the rules around isolation for those either infected with the
virus or close contacts of confirmed positive cases and both of these factors
clearly played a large role in the drop in part-time employment during April. “The largest factor influencing the
employment market was the relaxation of forced isolation of close contacts
during April around Australia. If you are a close contact of a confirmed case
you no longer have to undertake a mandatory period of seven days in isolation
– you must only take a daily RAT for five days to find out whether you have
contracted the virus. “This policy change implemented around the
country greatly reduced the number of Australians forced into mandatory
isolation during April and meant many workers who had been employed part-time
to fill in for other staff are no longer required. “The other factor at play was the reduction
in the number of ‘active cases’ of COVID-19 during April after a secondary
peak of the ‘Omicron variant’ in late March/early April. At the start of
March 2022 there were around 200,000 active cases but this increased steadily
during the month and was at around 500,000 active cases at the start of
April. During April active cases steadily declined to under 330,000 by the
end of that month. The trends in ‘active cases’ were in different directions
during the last two months: up by 300,000 in March and then dropping by
170,000 during April. “These trends heavily influenced the number
of Australians forced into isolation which was high and rising during March
and then reduced heavily during April – especially once mandatory isolation
for close contacts was removed. “The removal of mandatory isolation for
close contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 should mean the virus has less
impact on the employment markets going forward as firms will need to hire
less part-time workers to fill in for isolating workers. “However, the counter to that is that as we
head into the winter months many experts suggest Australia may be on the
verge of another wave of the virus as colder weather tends to lead to more
people congregating together indoors – the most effective way of spreading
the virus. “There is also the small matter of a
Federal Election to be decided as well. The latest Roy Morgan Poll on Federal Voting Intention shows
the ALP on 53% is comfortably ahead of the L-NP on 47% on a two-party preferred basis. If the
results from this Roy Morgan Poll are repeated at the Federal Election it
will be an easy victory for the ALP and they will garner a clear majority in
Parliament.” Roy Morgan Unemployed and ‘Under-employed’*
Estimates
*Workforce
includes those employed and those looking for work – the unemployed. This Roy Morgan survey on Australia’s unemployment and ‘under-employed’* is based on weekly
interviews of 826,017 Australians aged 14 and over between January 2007 and
April 2022 and includes 5,754 telephone and online interviews in April
2022. *The ‘under-employed’ are those
people who are in part-time work or freelancers who are looking for more
work. Contact Roy Morgan to learn more about
Australia’s unemployed and under-employed; who and where they are, and the challenges they
face as they search for employment opportunities. Visit the Roy Morgan Online Store to
purchase employment profiles, including for Australians who are employed, unemployed, under-employed, employed part-time, employed full-time, retired, studying and many more. Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS Unemployment
Estimates
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source October 2006 – May 2022.
Average monthly interviews 4,000. Roy Morgan Research cf. ABS Unemployment
Estimates
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source January 2000 – May 2022.
Average monthly interviews 4,000.
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source April 1995 – May 2022.
Average monthly interviews 4,000. (Roy Morgan) May 17 2022 Source: https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8964-roy-morgan-unemployment-may-2022-202205170442 MULTICOUNTRY
STUDIES
743-43-18/Polls Inflation: The Perceptions Of Citizens Of 11 Countries
25% of respondents say they find it
somewhat or very difficult to manage their finances lately: between
two-thirds of Turkish citizens (66%) and 16% of those in the United States
and Germany. The largest group say they are "barely getting
by" - 34% overall and more than half (54%) of Poles. Only 11% say
they live comfortably and three out of ten people (29%) believe that their
situation is okay.
Respondents share negative outlook for the
coming year:
Expectations of price hikes are also
widespread - especially when it comes to food
purchases and the cost of energy:
In most countries, a rise in food prices is
what households believe would have the greatest impact on their quality of
life - this is the case for the United States,
Canada, Italy, Japan, Australia, Poland and Turkey. In the remaining
four countries (Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Spain), the increase in
energy bills would have the greatest effect. Les réactions les plus courantes à la
hausse des coûts consistent à réduire les dépenses plutôt qu'à changer de
comportement. Les trois actions les plus
courantes prises par les populations interrogées si la hausse des prix
signifiait qu'elles ne pouvaient plus se permettre un style de vie normal
sont de dépenser moins pour les sorties (44%), de retarder les décisions
d'achat importantes (41%) et de dépenser moins pour les achats ménagers non
alimentaires (38%). Citizens of some
countries are more likely to say they will adjust their behavior to save
money. While 36% of respondents say they would use less heating,
electricity or water, half of Britons say they would take this step (49%), as do 46% of Germans and
44% of Turks. And while, overall, three in ten say they would use their
car or motor vehicle less (29%), Turks, Germans and French are more likely to
say so (42% , 34% and 34% respectively). In contrast, relatively few say they would
ask for a raise or seek better paying jobs in response to the rising cost of
living. These measures are below a series of
other actions, including spending less on going out (45%), using less
electricity for heating and water (34%) and spending less on food (27%
). Of those who are employed, only 16% say they would look for a better
paying job with another employer and 11% say they would ask their current
employer for a raise.
In most countries, respondents see rising
inflation as being linked to external and international factors - Overall,
the public is more likely to say that the state of the global economy is
contributing a lot or quite a rise in the cost of living (77%), alongside the
consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (76%) and followed by the
COVID-19 pandemic (72%). However, the policies of national governments are also
considered to play an important role. Seven out of ten say
it's a factor driving up prices, including 80% in Turkey, 76% in Poland and
72% in the United States, where it's considered the second most important
factor. Shares of companies and individuals are less blamed - while 64% of
respondents believe that companies making excessive profits contribute to
higher prices, they do not feature in the top three of any country, except
Spain (72%). And even fewer see workers demanding price hikes as a
factor, although in the United States almost six in ten mention it (58%). The Ipsos point of view This new survey conducted by Ipsos with the World Economic Forumhighlights
public concerns about the cost of living, both as consumers and as
citizens. At present, they consider these pressures to be more
transitory than most experts predict. For now, they are responding by
cutting back on discretionary spending, avoiding luxury spending and delaying
major purchasing decisions. The challenge is that while the public is
braced for higher prices, after a long period of low inflation for many, the
reality is likely to be even worse than they expect. It is possible that
as the pressure continues, the public will move from cutting spending to
demanding pay rises (either from their current employer, For brands –
it will be important to empathize with consumers who feel pressured and
expect further price increases across a wide range of products. There
are clear signs that the public will be looking to cut costs across a range
of areas, starting with luxury goods and discretionary spending, but there
are subtle differences between markets in where the public will be looking. first. Consumers
will try to preserve their overall standard of living and "value"
will become increasingly important in many categories. In most countries, it is clear that citizens do not see governments and politicians primarily
responsible for rising prices, but the high level of personal pessimism will
lead to dissatisfaction with incumbent governments and means that the public
will seek support to cushion the worst impacts of
inflation. Demonstrating that they understand people's financial pain
and that they are able to offer practical solutions will be important, as the
French elections have just shown. As the cost of living crisis
continues, it will be vital to prepare people for potential changes in
interest rates and the measures taken to deal with high food and energy
prices. “ Economic optimism has been
declining in Europe and the United States since mid-2021, and today less than
half of the public in six out of ten countries say they feel financially
secure. But if the public expects more inflation and price hikes in 2022, the
idea of a ‘new normal’ has yet to sink in. That means further
inflationary shocks are likely – so far , relatively few people around the
world are asking for pay raises or seeking better paying jobs at a new
company. But as the cost of living crisis deepens, we expect to see this
change, with the likelihood of a wage-price spiral.This is only the
beginning." declares Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos (Ipsos France) May 16, 2022 Source: https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/inflation-les-perceptions-des-citoyens-de-11-pays 743-43-19/Polls Britons Tend To Think The UK Would Come Out Worse In A Trade War With
The EU, A Study In Seven Countries
The prospect of a trade war between the UK and EU is looking
increasingly likely as the government suggests it
may unilaterally scrap parts of the Brexit arrangements it made with the EU
concerning Northern Ireland. The arrangements had allowed Northern Ireland to remain in the EU
single market for goods, but treated goods arriving in Northern Ireland from
mainland Britain as though coming from a foreign country. Should Britain tear
up the rules, the EU could
impose tariffs on UK goods or even terminate the entire Brexit deal. A YouGov Eurotrack survey conducted in December 2021 found that, in
all seven countries surveyed, people tended to think that the UK would come
off worse in a UK-EU trade war. This includes 49% of Britons, compared to 25%
who think both sides would be equally hit, and just 11% who think the EU
would be most negatively impacted.
Spaniards are the most convinced that the UK would lose (58%), while
Italians are the least (35% think so, although only 15% say the EU would be
hit harder). Within the UK, the vast majority of Labour and Remain voters (76% of
each group) think that the UK would suffer more than a trade war with the EU. By contrast, Conservative and Leave voters tend to think that both
sides would be equally badly damaged (40% of the former and 36% of the latter).
One in five (20-21%) think that the EU would be more negatively affected than
the UK, while marginally more think the UK would be bruised more than the EU
(25-27%).
(YouGov UK) May 18, 2022 743-43-20/Polls The Role Of Technology In Our Life And Concern About Sharing Personal
Data Online Views Of Individuals From 39 Countries Across The Globe
WIN International, the world’s leading association in market research
and polling has published the Annual WIN World Survey (WWS – 2021) exploring
the views and beliefs of 33,236 individuals among citizens from 39 countries
across the globe about technology, privacy of digital information and related
concerns. Sharing personal information digitally Almost half of the
global population (48%) is concerned about sharing personal information digitally, a percentage that increased
by three points compared to last year (45%). The level of concern increases
among men and women as well: women, from 47% to 50% and men, from 43% to 47%.
The increased frequency of online purchases and bank transactions in times of
pandemic may have played a role in this scenario: providing private data,
without a good virtual security system, can lead to theft or manipulation of
personal data for illicit acts. More than half of the American continent (54%) feels concerned about
sharing their information digitally, a stable result compared to last year.
Africa and MENA are regions that experienced the bigger increase compared to
last year’s results, raising the level of concern of 22 and 15 percentage
points respectively. On a country by country level, Brazil (72%), China (71%) and Turkey
(61%) are the countries that are most concerned about sharing their
information digitally. While Lebanon (31%), the Palestinian Territories (30%)
and Germany (29%) seem to worry less. Results by country should also be
interpreted together with the national context: for example, the local
discussions in China regarding the Personal Information Protection Law have
played an important role in shaping people’s opinion on the topic. Awareness on what will happen with personal
information after it is shared with a data collector The rising level of
concern about sharing personal information online goes hand in hand with an
increased awareness about what happens to our data once is shared. One third of the global population (33%) say they know what happens
with their data, +6% compared to 2020. Although the share increased, there is
still a significant majority that ignores the future usage of their personal
data. China (71%), India (51%) and Brazil (49%) have the highest
percentages of awareness of the usage of shared personal data, while Japan
(16%), Finland and South Korea (each with 9%) show the lowest results. Technology in our life More than three
quarters of the global population
(76%) consider that technology is very important in our lives, especially
younger generations (82% among 18-24 and 25-34), students (87%) and those
with a higher educational level (masters and PhDs). The pandemic might have
had an effect on these results too: in the toughest months, technology was
our way to look at the external world, and for students and young people
probably even more. Technology for people in Africa seems to be fundamental, with 90% of
the population considering it extremely or very important. Many countries
follow the same trend: Indonesia (98%), Serbia (95%) and India (94%) perceive
technology as an essential element in their daily lives, while Ecuador (61%),
Poland (60%) and France (50%) consider it important, but not vital. Data misuse According to the
results, 7 out of 10 respondents were victims of data misuse (Spamming or/and
phishing). Aggressive misuses like personal data leak, email hacked and
financial hack were luckily experienced by fewer people (12%, 11% and 11%, respectively); still 34%
experimented at least one of the above (compared to 29% in 2019). People from
United States (71%), Hong Kong (64%) and Mexico (63%) seem to have had
privacy issues more than people in other countries. Vilma Scarpino,
President of WIN International Association, said: The impact of the technology in our life has been growing since many
years now, but it’s also changing our habits and our perception of the
consequences of its misuse. Despite more people are aware of the destination
of the personal information they share online, the level of concern does not
decrease accordingly: knowing what happens with our data, doesn’t mean we’re
not skeptical or worried about it. On top of that, there are still many
people ignoring the consequences of online behavior: knowledge still needs to
increase in order to have fully aware customers and consumers, and
it really needs to increase, considering more than three out of
four people consider technology an important part of their life. (WIN) 19
May 2022 743-43-21/Polls Should Ukraine Get Automatic Qualification To The World Cup; Scottish
And Welsh Fans Say No
As part of the global cultural backlash against Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine, the Russian national football team has been banned
from the 2022 World Cup. The Ukrainian team remains in the competition
and is due to play a qualifying match against Scotland on 1 June. The winner
of that match will subsequently face the Welsh side, with the victor moving
on to the next stage of the tournament. Some, including prime
minister Boris Johnson, have suggested the Ukrainian team could be given
an automatic qualification to the competition group stages. However, this
would mean Wales and Scotland would lose out on their chance for a spot. Scottish and Welsh football fans, however, are distinctly unwilling
to sacrifice their teams’ chance for glory out of generosity to Ukraine. Just
a tiny percentage support the idea: 2% of Welsh fans and 4% of Scottish fans
think Ukraine should be given the 'bye' into the next round at the expense of
their national teams' chances. Others have suggested that with a change to the rules an
extra place in the competition could be created for Ukraine, leaving
Scotland and Wales to duke it out for the last spot. Even when offered this
option, only 32% of Welsh and 38% of Scottish fans thinks it is the best
solution. Most refuse to give Ukraine any special treatment at all. Three in
five football fans in Wales (61%) and half of those in Scotland (52%) think
the remaining qualification games should continue as usual, without special
considerations for Ukraine.
(YouGov UK) May 20, 2022 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
