The CNT/Sensus poll released Tuesday, September 13, shows that people’s evaluation improved in all social areas, but that there was a decline in the general evaluation of the handling of economic policy.
The opinions of the people who were interviewed improved with respect to health, education, poverty, and violence. Regarding health, 24.6% believe that things have gotten better; 30.1%, that they have stayed the same; and 43.7%, that they have gotten worse.
The results in July were: 21.8%, that things have gotten better; 29.6%, that they have stayed the same; and 47.5%, that they have gotten worse.
Regarding education: better, 36.7% (33.6% in July); the same, 33.1% (30.6% in July); and worse, 29% (33.8% in July).
Regarding poverty: better, 12.8% (8.4% in July); the same, 27.2% (27% in July); and worse, 48.7% (63.7% in July).
Regarding violence: better, 8.1% (4.9% in July); the same, 13.9% (11.8% in July); and worse, 77% (82.6% in July).
For 42.1% of the people surveyed, employment has risen over the past six months, and for 28.1%, the situation has remained stable. The results in February were 61.3% and 24.2%, respectively.
38.1% of the people surveyed believe that employment will grow in the next six months; 34.4%, that it will remain stable; and 21.3%, that it will decline. The results in February were 46.9%, 29.1%, and 18%, respectively.
Regarding economic policy, there was an increase in the level of dissatisfaction with the way the economy is presently being handled.
52.1% of the Brazilian population believes that the economy is off course, as against 46.1% in July. In the opinion of 34.9%, the economy is being run adequately, compared with 40.2% in July.
Confidence in the way the economy will be handled in the next six months also declined, from 45.6% in July to 41.2% in September. The level of doubt rose from 46.8% in July to 48.6% in September, and the percentage of those who were unable or unwilling to respond rose from 7.7% in July to 10.3% in September.
There was a 3.6 percentage point increase, relative to July, in expectations for an increase in monthly income over the coming six months (41.5%). 38% said that income will remain unchanged, while 16.1% expect a reduction, compared with 40.6% and 15.7%, respectively, in July.
Given this prospect, Brazilians are more willing to admit the possibility of purchasing durable goods: 15.4%, compared with 11.5% in July.
But 63.4% of the population still believes that it is a bad time to take on debt, compared with 71.3% in July, and 19.4% think that the moment is neither good nor bad, compared with 15.5% in July.
Perceptions regarding the increase in job offers during the past six months rose 15.3 percentage points, relative to February, 2004. Around 27% of the people surveyed affirmed that the number of job offers has risen.
The poll commissioned by the CNT was conducted by the Sensus Institute between September 6 and 8, in 195 municipalities. Two thousand people were interviewed. The margin of error is plus or minus 3%.
Agência Brasil