Bulgarians are well above the European Union average in seeing the economic crisis as the most important issue, according to the results of a Eurobarometer survey released on December 14 2009.

Among 27 EU member states, the economy was the top priority in six: Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Cyprus.

According to the poll, covering autumn 2009, 51 per cent of Bulgarians saw the economy as the top issue facing the country, 11 per cent higher than the EU average, followed by unemployment (48 per cent, against an EU average of 51 per cent) and crime (33 per cent, while the EU average was 19 per cent).

For Bulgarians, the ranking of other concerns was rising prices (25 per cent), health care (14 per cent, precisely the EU average), pensions (nine per cent, same as the EU average), while much lower down were taxation (three per cent, EU average eight per cent) and the educational system (four per cent, EU average seven per cent).

Barely registering as concerns for Bulgarians were immigration, housing, terrorism and the environment – each scoring one per cent.
 
While economic concerns had lessened across the EU, most people continued to believe that the worst was yet to come, according to the Eurobarometer poll.

"Now that the G20 and the IMF have given the impetus for economic recovery, people believe that national governments and the European Union are best placed to take action against the effects of the crisis," a European Commission media statement said.

"Citizens have clearly identified jobs as their main concern, and the EU must continue to give its full attention and commitment to dealing with the crisis," according to Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy.
 
The release of the poll coincided with a series of economic indicators unveiled by Eurostat.
 
In October 2009 compared with September 2009, seasonally adjusted industrial production  fell by 0.6 per cent in the euro currency area  and by 0.7 per cent in the 27 member states of the EU. In September production increased by 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent, respectively.

In October 2009 compared with October 2008, industrial production declined by 11.1 per cent in the euro area and by 10.2 per cent in the EU27.

The number of people employed in the euro area fell by 0.5 per cent (712 000 people) in the third quarter of 2009 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat.
 
In the same period, the number of people employed in the EU27 also decreased by 0.5 per cent (1 019 000 people). In the second quarter of 2009, employment declined by 0.5 per cent in the euro area and by 0.6 per cent in the EU27. These figures are seasonally adjusted.

All sectors of the economy recorded a decrease in employment, except other services (which mainly includes public administration, health and education), which grew by 0.3 per cent in the euro area and by 0.2 per cent in the EU27.

Decreases were recorded in construction (-two per cent and -1.9 per cent, respectively), manufacturing (-1.7 per cent and -1.6 per cent), agriculture (-1.1 per cent and -0.4 per cent), financial services and business activities (-0.5 per cent and -0.4 per cent) and trade, transport and communication services (-0.1 per cent and -0.2 per cent).

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, employment fell by 2.1 per cent in the euro area and by two per cent in the EU27 in the third quarter of 2009. In the second quarter of 2009, employment decreased by 1.8 per cent and 1.7 per cent, respectively.

Eurostat estimates that, in the third quarter of 2009, 221.6 million men and women were employed in the EU27, of which 144.8 million were in the euro area. These figures are seasonally adjusted.
 
In October 2009 compared with September 2009, seasonally adjusted industrial production fell by 0.6 per cent in the euro area and by 0.7 per cent in the EU27. In September,  production increased by 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent, respectively.

In October 2009 compared with October 2008, industrial production declined by 11.1 per cent in the euro area and by 10.2 per cent in the EU27.