Recent government actions have met a significantly more negative response a good third of employees are currently inactive from their job.

Published by Valicon on

Key highlights of the last measurement (31st March – 1st April 2020):

  • A fifth of respondents believe that the latest measures taken by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to prevent the virus from spreading are too strict.
  • »Mega Corona Law« support is slightly lower but still prevailing.
  • The vast majority estimate that things are getting better, but concerns remain on a high level.
  • The focus of concern is turning from family and health to the aftermath of the epidemic.
  • On average, most expect that measures to prevent the virus from spreading will last until June 11th.
  • For the first time in a public announcement: one fifth of employees are more burdened than before the onset of the virus, less than two-fifths are roughly the same, one tenth is part-time employed at the moment and a third of all employees is currently inactive, every tenth of them have lost their job.

»Mega Corona Law« with a slightly lower but still prevailing level of support

The measures taken by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia to deal with the economic consequences of the epidemic for the population and the economy are marked as adequate by more than two fifths of respondents (41%), which is one fifth less than when it was announced a week ago (51%). The difference is statistically significant. While the measures are still being adopted with general approval, but the closer they are to realization, the more dissatisfied respondents are. Namely, the share of dissatisfied people, among those who label the measures as inadequate, increased statistically, from 3% to more than 8%, the difference being statistically significant.

Government measures to prevent the virus from spreading are subject to significant criticism

If, just a week ago, only 7% of respondents thought that the government of the Republic of Slovenia’s measures to control the spread of the virus were too strict, that share had jumped to over 20% in the last two days. At the same time, the percentage of those who consider the measures being not enough rigorous have decreased significantly (27%, 40% a week ago). The ratio between the two is now much more equalized – two weeks ago this ratio was 61% against 5%, today only 27% against 20%. All these differences are statistically significant and indicate a clear trend that recent measures are causing increasing disapproval within the population, especially in the last three days. The majority of the population (53%) still believe that the measures are just right.

For the third time in a row significant change of the evaluation of the development of the events for the better

Almost 70% of respondents say that things are getting better (57% a week ago). Just to remind, just before the epidemic was declared, the ratio was 86% (things are going worse) to 14% (things are getting better), three weeks later we are seeing an almost complete turnaround, 31% say things are getting worse and 69% say they are getting better. The differences are statistically significant.

Expectation that existing situation will last up to the middle of june

A relative majority (44%) of respondents believe that the emergency situation (closed schools and kindergartens, restriction of movement, non-association, etc.) will last for another two months, and one fifth saying that this will last another month (a week ago 30%). On average, residents expect another 70 days of existing conditions, i.e. until June 11th. A week ago, that date was May 28th. Residents are clearly faced with accepting the possibility of a relatively longer duration of the existing situation.

The level of concern is still high, focus of concern is slowly directing to consequences

Otherwise prevailing concern for one’s own family has relaxed somewhat (from 81% two weeks ago to 69% in the last two days). Similarly concern for one’s own health has also decreased (44% two weeks ago, 37% in the last two days). On the other hand, there is an increase of stated concern about the economic consequences (43% two weeks ago, over half the respondents last day, 51%). All these differences are statistically significant and indicate a trend of reversing the focus from concern for family and health towards the effects of the epidemic. After announcing government measures, concern about the job among employees has fallen from 16% to 12%, but has grown again in recent days, reaching almost 15% (the difference is not statistically significant, but the trend is clear and coincides with the assessment of the appropriateness of government measures by day, from announcement to acceptance in the National Assembly).

One fifth of all employees works more than before, one third is currently inactive at work

For the first time, we announce the changes experienced by the employed respondents in their jobs. Exactly one-fifth of employees reported an increase in workload (20%), and just under two-fifths say the volume is about the same as before (37%). Almost one tenth of employees report part-time work (9%) and one-fifth report that they are currently on hold (21%). 4% of those who were employed before the onset of the virus reported losing their jobs due to the coronavirus (the confidence interval for this estimate is between 1.4% and 6.5%). Of the remaining tenth, 7% are currently on leave (5% on ordinary, 2% on extraordinary) and 3% have sick leave (the confidence intervals for these estimates are quite wide). In summary, one fifth of employees are more occupied than before the onset of the virus, just under two-fifths are roughly the same occupied, one-tenth have part-time jobs, and about one-third are currently inactive, one in ten of them have lost their jobs.

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Citing the source

When citing the source, please indicate (recommended form of citation):

»Source: Opinion poll 31st March – 1st April 2020, n=482, Valicon.«

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Methodological frame

The survey was conducted within the framework of the Jazvem.si online panel of respondents. Jazvem.si web panel is the largest online panel of respondents in Slovenia. The results are representative of the Slovenian online population from 18 to 75 years of age, by sex, age, education and region at settlement type level.

Time of interviewing:

  • first measurement 11th – 12th March, n=1.129;
  • second measurement 18th – 19th March, n=507;
  • daily measurement takes place from 23rd March on a daily sample of about n=250;
  • most of the data in today’s report refers to the last two, 31st March and 1st April, n=486.

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About Valicon

Valicon is one of the leading marketing consulting and opinion research and opinion polling companies in Southeastern Europe. Valicon specializes in small markets, tailor-made solutions, advanced methodology and in-depth insight into the client’s area of activity. The company’s core business is marketing consulting based on marketing research. Valicon offers its clients services throughout the Western Balkans and through selected partners in other European countries.

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More information

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  1. 01/ 420 49 00, 01/ 420 49 53 (Andraž Zorko, partner)
  2. [email protected]
  3. www.valicon.net
  4. @valicongroup