Friday 19th January 2001 |
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Christchurch is starting the year with the nation's most optimistic attitude while Wellingtonians are comparatively down in the mouth, the National Business Review-Compaq poll has found.
Asked whether overall 2001 would be a better or worse year for New Zealand than 2000, Christchurch people were most jolly (74% picking a better year) followed by Auckland (73%) with Wellingtonians (63%) and provincial New Zealanders (67%) more cautious about the country's outlook.
Benefiting from the upturn in the rural sector, Christchurch showed a markedly more positive mood than the rest of the country in other questions too; 62% of Christchurch people picked the economy would improve this year compared with 53% in Wellington.
Meanwhile, averaged out nationally, people are starting the year more positive about the country's overall prospects than they have been for a decade.
Sixty-nine per cent of people said this year would be better - the most positive finding since the question was first asked in 1991.
During that time the result has fluctuated from 45% in the depths of recession in 1991 to 68% last year.
People also expect their own personal circumstances to improve, with 43% of people saying they thought their own family's standard of living would rise in the next 12 months.
That compares with 37% when the question was asked in 1998 and 41% in December 2000.
When broken down by income, the NBR-Compaq poll results show those who earn less are more optimistic than top earners. And those who earn middle incomes - in the $25,000-$40,000 band - were most gloomy that the economy would pick up .
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