MOSCOW, July 19 (Itar-Tass) - The problem of unemployment has become topical for more Russians in the past year. Thus, opinion polls revealed that the relevant index had gone up from minus 46 to minus 26 points.
According to the polls conducted by the All-Russia Public Opinion Centre (VCIOM), the number of respondents who said they personally knew people who had lost their jobs not long ago increased from 26 to 36 percent. Correspondingly, the number of those who said they did not know such people decreased from 72 to 61 percent. Respondents who have jobless friends or relatives are primarily residents of small towns or villages (41-42 percent), and people aged from 45 to 59 (41 percent).
Unemployment is a subject discussed by 52 percent of Russians (53 percent last year). Of them 39 percent said they take part in such discussions personally, 13 percent said they hear their friends and relatives discuss this subject. Almost half of those polled (46 percent) said this subject was never been raised in their presence.
The poll was conducted by the All-Russia Public Opinion Centre on June 29-30, 2013. As many as 1,600 people were polled in 130 populated localities in 42 Russian regions. Statistical error is within 3.4 percent.
The index of topicality of the problem of unemployment is calculated as a difference between positive and negative answers to the question “Do you know people from among your relatives of friends who have lost their jobs in the past two to three months?” The higher the index is the more topical the problem is for respondents. The index is measured in points and may range from minus 100 to 100.