Work, Income, Living Level

In April 2004 the standard of living of their household was evaluated as good by two fifths (40%) of respondents, 43% evaluated it as neither good, nor bad and 16% characterised it as bad. Perception of the standard of living is improving with a growing income and with a growing level of education of the respondents. Lately, owners of medium and small enterprise, senior specialists and managers, young people between 15-19, students, single and potential ODS supporters belong to the more satisfied group of society.

More than a half of employees (54%) are happy with their current job, two fifths (39%) feel half contented and half discontented and 7% show their discontent. The group with the most contented employees is represented by highly qualified specialists or managers; on the opposite pole of contentment there are unskilled or agricultural labourers. As far as relations in the workplace are concerned, respondents mostly characterised them as a good form of co-operation without getting too personal (53%) and another 21% stated that there was a friendly and closed atmosphere in their workplace.

Also a block of questions on work and working environment was part of a March census performed by the Centre for Public Opinion Research SOU of the Academy of Sciences of the CR. These questions were answered only by those who were currently working as employees which, out of the total sample of 1056 respondents, were 492 respondents. Approximately a fifth of employees admit a possible change in their job description within 2 years.

The latest census of the CPOR shows that more than a half of economically active Czech citizens are satisfied with their jobs. Another two fifths of respondents state that they are half satisfied and half unsatisfied. Job dissatisfaction was expressed only by 6% of respondents. Satisfaction with one’s job differs between those who are employees and those who are entrepreneurs managing small, medium or large enterprises; three quarters of entrepreneurs are satisfied with their jobs compared to only a half of those who are employees.

In February 2004, approximately 29% of respondents considered the standard of living of their household as being good. 48% described it as neither good nor bad, and 22% characterised it as bad. 5% of inhabitants consider their household to be rich, 28% consider it to be relatively poor or even very poor and two thirds consider it neither rich nor poor. Difficulties when managing the current income of their family were stated by 59% of respondents, 37% of respondents stated that they coped with the household budget more or less easily.

As respondents stated, 4% of households purchased a new flat last year, 8% bought a new car, 29% went on a holiday abroad and 46% bought new furnishings. 3% of households plan to buy a new flat in 2004, 4% want to buy a new car, 31% plan to buy a holiday abroad and 35% are already planning to purchase new furnishings. The survey further showed that 38% of respondents stated that they could not put money aside towards monthly savings and 32% evaluated their monthly savings to be as little as only up to a thousand Czech Crowns.

In our November survey we asked several questions concerning unemployment; 7 out of 10 respondents indicated that the current level of unemployment in our country was too high, one quarter of Czechs believe that it is adequate and only 1% of our inhabitants consider it to be too low. One quarter of Czech citizens think that the unemployed in our country cannot find any work. A half of respondents think that the unemployed cannot find suitable work and the opinion of the remaining quarter of respondents was that the unemployed were simply not interested in finding work.

32% of those who were asked indicated that the standard of living of their household was good, contrary to the opinion of 25%, and 43 % of respondents characterised it as neither good nor bad. Compared to all previous polls from 2003 this shows a rather significant setback in the subjective evaluation of the standard of living of households, which in the past indicated that up to two fifths of respondents considered it to be good and less than one fifth had the opposite opinion.

More than three quarters of Czechs are satisfied with the level of interesting aspects of their jobs and with relationships between people at their workplace. More than a half of employees also were satisfied with the care received from their employer, with material possessions and equipment at the workplace, with the way their work is organised, with its intensity, with their line-manager, and with the extent to which their expertise is used.

More than three quarters of Czechs are satisfied with the level of interesting aspects of their jobs and with relationships between people at their workplace. More than a half of employees also were satisfied with the care received from their employer, with material possessions and equipment at the workplace, with the way their work is organised, with its intensity, with their line-manager, and with the extent to which their expertise is used.