Latest: Economy bright, but not Filipino lives -- SWS survey

MANILA: More Filipinos are optimistic about the economy in the coming year but the number of those who expect their lives to get better in the next 12 months has declined, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

In the survey, 31% of respondents said the economy would improve in the next 12 months, while 14% said it would get worse, resulting in a “very high” net score of  plus 17.

The net score marked an improvement from May’s figure of a “high” plus 8 (285 optimistic minus 20% pessimistic).

According to SWS, seven of the last 10 surveys showed a “very high” net economic optimism.

The survey involving face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult respondents nationwide was conducted from Aug 24 to 27.  It also asked the respondents how their personal living conditions go in the next 12 months.

SWS found 34% saying they expected positive changes in the quality of their life while 7% said otherwise, for a “high” net score of  plus 27%, down from “very high” plus 30% (38%optimistic minus 8% pessimistic) in May.

Asked about the quality of their life over the past 12 months, 21% said it had improved (gainers) while 28% said it had worsened, for a net score (gainers minus losers) of  minus 8 percentage points, slightly better than the previous figure of  minus 9%.

Net personal optimism dropped from  plus 39 to plus 30 in Luzon areas outside the metropolis, from  plus 37 to plus 36 in Metro Manila and from  plus 18 to plus 17 in the Visayas. It only increased in Mindanao from plus 20 to  plus 22.

By socioeconomic class, personal optimism decreased in Classes ABC (from plus 34 to plus 32), Class D (from plus 32 to plus 28) and Class E (from plus 24 to plus 20).

On the other hand, net economic optimism rose in all socioeconomic classes and across all areas in the country.

Net economic optimism increased from plus 14 to plus 23 in Luzon areas outside Metro Manila, from plus 11  to plus 20 in Metro Manila, from minus 3 to plus 10 in Visayas and from plus 7 to plus 11 in Mindanao.

By socioeconomic group, net economic optimism jumped 28 points from 0 in Classes  ABC. 

It also improved in Class D from plus 11 to plus 18 and in Class E from plus 3 to plus 11. -- ANA ROA, Inquirer Research