Exactly three of every four persons questioned for the latest Observer/Don Anderson Polls have indicated that things in the country have got worse over the last few months.

However, just over 60 per cent of respondents blame spiralling oil prices for increases in the cost of living.

According to Anderson, who conducted the poll between June 25 and July 2 among 1,000 persons islandwide, “the general view among Jamaicans of all socio-economic groups is that things are hard at the moment”. However, it does not appear that they are prepared to lay the blame at the feet of the Government.

Anderson said that when his team from Market Research Services Ltd asked people what they thought was the cause of their present economic hardship and the rising costs of many food items, the large majority – 61 per cent – pointed to the global issue of the price of oil.

World oil prices have been rising steadily for some months now, reaching a high of US$146 a barrel last week. However, yesterday, the Associated Press reported that crude prices tumbled by US$5.33 to settle at US$136.04 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Yesterday’s decline followed a US$3.92 slide on Monday.

But even though those interviewed by Anderson recognise the impact of the high oil prices on Jamaica, some respondents – 18 per cent – blame the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government for the current problems that the country faces, said Anderson.

Six per cent of respondents also blamed the previous People’s National Party (PNP) Government for the present crisis, while four per cent “blame it on a rapacious private sector hiking the prices of goods outside of reason and artificially therefore creating the pressure on the economy and on their lives”.

The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent, found that over 93 per cent of persons who voted PNP in last September’s general elections feel that things in the country have got worse since then. But this view, Anderson said, is shared by over 54 per cent of those who voted JLP.

“Just 13 per cent feel that things have got better over the last few months, and these are largely persons who voted for the JLP in September,” said Anderson.

He said that three main factors were cited by those who feel that things have got worse.

“Topping this list is the state of the economy, which has seen significant increases in the cost of living,” said the pollster. “Fifty-nine per cent blame the worsening situation in the country on this. Thirty-five per cent blame it on crime and violence and 17 per cent on the high level of unemployment.”

The people who have said that things have got better mainly point to the fulfilment of promises by the Government of such things as free education and health care and efforts by the administration to restore the economy and reduce levels of corruption in the society.

Of the persons interviewed, 59 per cent felt that their personal situation has deteriorated since last September, said the pollster.

“Whilst this view was largely held by persons who voted for the PNP last time, a significant number – 37 per cent – of JLP supporters also feel this way,” said Anderson.

“Thirteen per cent feel that their own personal situation has improved over the period since last September, and these are largely persons who supported the JLP last time,” said Anderson.

When the interviewers asked respondents to state their reasons for saying that their personal situation had got worse over the period, 67 per cent cited the high cost of living and their inability to buy food.

“This was the largest single answer and clearly points to the extreme difficulties that people are experiencing generally in seeking to make ends meet,” said Anderson.

“Eighteen per cent also pointed to the absence of jobs as a big causal factor, whilst five per cent listed the increase in crime and violence as one of the factors,” added Anderson.

Respondents who said their personal situation has improved, point to the new health care and educational benefits as the principal reasons. They also gave other things such as getting a job, the availability of things they never had before and a feeling of general optimism as indicators of this improvement in their personal situation.