EUROBAROMETER: EUROPEANS MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT THE ECONOMY

Europeans are starting to be more optimistic about the economy's outlook with more people saying that the worst of the crisis is behind us, according to the Spring 2011 Eurobarometer, the bi-annual opinion poll organised by the European Union.

Forty-three per cent of Europeans think that the crisis's impact on the job market has already reached its peak. This is one percentage point more than the in previous survey in autumn 2010 and 15 percentage points higher than in spring 2009.

Europeans are also increasingly asking for EU action and stronger European co-operation to tackle the crisis and avoid future problems.

Nearly eight out of 10 Europeans think stronger co-ordination of economic policy among EU member states would be effective in tackling the economic situation.

"The latest Eurobarometer survey confirms that the European Union is gradually emerging from the crisis. People believe that the EU is taking effective measures against the crisis and we are back on the path of recovery," said Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission. 

"The survey also shows that the majority of people believe the EU is now going in the right direction. They expect the EU institutions and national governments to continue to confront the common challenge of sustaining growth and creating jobs. If we all act responsibly, Europe has a good chance of coming out of the crisis stronger than it was before."

While the general EU trend is positive, there is still some scepticism in countries that continue to face recession and rising unemployment.

Differences exist between more "optimistic" and "pessimistic" countries.

Most member states, in particular Denmark (68 per cent), Estonia (64 per cent), and Austria (62 per cent), believe that the impact of the economic crisis on the job market has already reached its peak. For Bulgaria, the figure is 50 per cent.

The opposite opinion is seen in countries struggling with the crisis, such as Portugal (80 per cent) and Greece (78 per cent)