A Job for Everyone - Europe's Number One Priority

Half of all Europeans believe that the creation and preservation of enough secure jobs should be the focus of their country's future policies. This is the major finding of a survey conducted in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK, commissioned by GfK-Nürnberg.

Half of all Europeans believe that the creation and preservation of enough secure jobs should be the focus of their country's future policies. This is the major finding of a survey conducted in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK, commissioned by GfK-Nürnberg.

The issue of unemployment and how to tackle it stands right at the top of the list of concerns of European citizens as 49% of the Europeans surveyed in eight countries feel this is an issue that the national governments must tackle.

Those surveyed in the eight different countries expressed far fewer fears about a rise in crime. One in five respondents felt that combating and preventing crime was a particularly pressing task for national governments.

Next on the list, each issue being cited by around one in ten Europeans, are the health service, inflation, foreigners and immigration and protecting the environment. One in eight respondents cited pensions and education as the most burning issues that should be given absolute priority in Europe.

Besides unemployment, the inhabitants of each country surveyed mentioned a particularly pressing issue specific to their national environment. In France and Italy it was crime, with Italians predominantly citing the Mafia. In the Netherlands and the UK, the inadequate health service was mentioned with particular frequency. Dutch respondents also mentioned foot and mouth disease and British respondents the quality of the education system. Many of the Spanish people were afraid of attacks by, and the activities of, ETA. Inflation is a matter of concern in Poland, while in Austria the subject of pensions and old-age protection is particularly sensitive.

These and other findings are taken from a study carried out by GfK market research and commissioned by GfK-Nürnberg e.V., which GfK has been carrying out for 20 years in Germany and has conducted for the first time this year in eight other European countries. The basis of the investigation is a simple, open question. This same question has been put to the inhabitants of Germany for many years and was put to the people of Europe for the first time this year: "In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues to be resolved today in (the respective country)?"

Around 2,500 people, aged 14 or over, were interviewed in Germany and 1,000 people of the same age ranges in Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland Spain and the UK. The survey was conducted in April and May this year.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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