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30. 12. 09. - 16:00

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30. 12. 09. - 16:00

Every second Austrian optimistic about 2010

By William Green

Fifty per cent of Austrians are optimistic about the coming year, according to a new poll.

In the study by Linz public-opinion research institute IMAS 45 per cent said they were worried or sceptical about 2010.

Releasing the results of its traditional New Year’s poll which had 1,103 respondents older than 16 and which was conducted at the end of November and the beginning of December, IMAS said today (Weds) that in the same poll in 2008 only 34 per cent were optimistic and 59 per cent were pessimistic.

The exception this year, IMAS said, was uneducated workers, among whom pessimists outnumbered optimists by a margin of 57 to 34 per cent.

The institute rejected claims that the increase in popular optimism was the result of economists’ recent claims that growth had resumed and would continue.

It said its periodic checks of public opinion throughout 2009 had shown that optimism had been steadily increasing since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, results of a poll by Linz public-opinion research institute "market" show that Austrians consider partnership and health the greatest challenges in 2010, and 75 per cent believe things will be "normal" next year.

The results of the telephone poll of 506 people older than 16 on 21 and 22 December show that 85 per cent consider a functioning relationship and 84 per cent health the most-important things in 2010.

Following those in descending order of importance are time with friends and the means to have a comfortable life, with career development coming last.

Seventy-one per cent said they had "average" expectations for the coming year, with 23 per cent saying something "very unusual" would happen in their lives.

Looking back on 2009, 42 per cent said something very unusual had occurred in their lives during the year and 72 per cent called it tougher than 2008.

Austrian Times

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