Work, Income, Living Level

In October 2004, approximately a third of respondents (approx. 33%) considered the standard of living of their household as being good. 45% described it as neither good, nor bad, and less than a quarter (22%) characterised it as bad. 4% of inhabitants consider their household to be rich, while 29% consider it to be as relatively or very poor and two thirds as neither rich nor poor. Difficulties when managing the current income of their family were stated by 60% of respondents, 36% of respondents stated that they would cope with the household budget more or less easily.

Discontent with the current situation prevailed in the majority of the investigated areas. The only exceptions with respect to that were represented by the accession of the CR to the EU, the school system and health care system. The highest discontent was expressed in connection with corruption and unemployment where this feeling was declared by more than three quarters of respondents. In comparison to this the evaluation of the current state of social security, efficiency of the state economy, immigration issues, legal environment, involvement of people to have a say in public affairs, efficiency of offices and the standard of living were considerably less unfavourable, despite the fact that this in isolation was also evaluated in a mostly negative way.

In case of losing the job, most people would attempt to find a specific job corresponding to their own ideas. In the census this was expressed by less than two thirds of respondents (65%). Contrary to this, one third of respondents (33%) stated that if they were in this situation they would also accept any job. Regarding the conditions which people themselves set when looking for a job, the relatively smallest obstacles to accept a job were the need for induction or re-training or, if need be, possible overtime work and increased pace of work .

In the May census organised by the Centre for Public Opinion Research within the project Our Society 2004 we investigated, apart from other issues, also the issue of unemployment. More than three quarters of people consider the current level of unemployment in the CR to be too high, less than a fifth of the respondents think that it is adequate, and only 2% of the respondents consider it to be too low.

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.