Concerns about job security increased in Q4 2012 to match worries about the economy, according to findings from the Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions. Fifteen percent of global online respondents were worried about the economy in Q4, a decline of three percentage points from the same period in 2011, while concerns about employment held steady at 15 percent. Differences, however, prevailed by region.
The level of economic worry remained most prevalent among North American respondents (26%)—double the level of concern over job security (13%). The opposite was expressed by both Middle East/Africa and Latin American respondents, who said they were most concerned about employment status. Twenty-two percent of Middle East/Africa respondents said job security was the biggest concern in Q4, followed by fears over the economy (12%). In Latin America, anxiety about job security (19%) was nearly double the level of stress over the economy (10%).
The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions measures consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among more than 29,000 respondents with Internet access in 58 countries.
Eight percent of global respondents said they were most concerned about increasing food prices and utility bills in Q4, rising one and two points, respectively, from the same period in 2011. Work/life balance concerns (9%) and health worries (7%) both declined by one percentage point from Q4 2011.
Fewer North American respondents were concerned about debt in Q4 on a year-over-year basis, declining six percentage points from the same period in 2011, while worries about crime among Latin Americans increased five percentage points year-over-year. In Middle East/Africa, political concerns declined four percentage points to 8 percent.
Other notable findings include:
For more detail and insight, download Nielsen’s Q4 2012 Global Consumer Confidence Report.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions was conducted Nov. 10-27, 2012 and polled more than 29,000 online consumers in 58 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America. The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on their Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers and has a maximum margin of error of ±0.6%. This Nielsen survey is based on the behavior of respondents with online access only. Internet penetration rates vary by country. Nielsen uses a minimum reporting standard of 60 percent Internet penetration or 10 million online population for survey inclusion. The China Consumer Confidence Index is compiled from a separate mixed methodology survey among 3,500 respondents in China. The Nielsen Global Survey, which includes the Global Consumer Confidence Index, was established in 2005.