(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Adults in Latin America are more likely to think their job is not safe, according to the Voice of the People survey released by Gallup International. 40 per cent of respondents say there’s a chance they may become unemployed.

In North America, Western Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific region, less than one-in-four respondents express concerns about losing their job. In Eastern and Central Europe and the Middle East, 32 per cent of respondents are worried about becoming unemployed.

Earlier this month, the unemployment rate in the United States increased to 5.0 per cent, up from 4.4 per cent in March 2007.

On Jan. 4, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "This economy of ours is on a solid foundation, but we can’t take economic growth for granted. And there are signs that will cause us to be ever more diligent and to make sure that good policies come out of Washington. For example, we’ve had 52 straight months of job creation, but job growth slowed last month. The core inflation is low, but U.S. consumers are paying more for gasoline and for food. Consumer spending is strong, yet the values on many of the homes in America are beginning to decline, which leads me to say to the American people: For those of you who are paying more and are worried about your home, we understand that. That’s why we have an aggressive policy to help credit-worthy people stay in their homes."

Yesterday, the Workers Party (PT) of Mexico issued a communiqué, blaming Mexican president Felipe Calderón for "making the month of January exceedingly difficult for the population." The PT claims that the hike in fuel prices—authorized by Calderón in September—led to injustified increases in other products.

Polling Data

Do you think your present job is safe, or do you think there’s a chance you may become unemployed?

Source: Voice of the People / Gallup International
Methodology: Interviews with more than 50,000 adults in 61 countries, conducted in October and December 2007. More details available in accompanying report.

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