Monday, December 18, 2000, updated at 18:46(GMT+8)
Business
Urban Residents Optimistic About Future Economy
A recent survey indicates that 63 percent of China's city residents expect a better domestic economic situation in the coming year.
The survey, conducted by the China Mainland Marketing Research Co. and 21 other survey institutions, covered 22 large and medium-sized cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Harbin. More than 9,800 valid samples were obtained from 10,000 samples.
According to the survey, 4.5 percent of residents expect a worse economy next year. The residents' prediction of next year's economy averages 3.91 points, with those in Beijing and Shanghai being the most optimistic with a score of 4.2 points and 4.1 points, respectively. The full mark is 5 points.
Residents are also confident about their family income for 2001. Despite employment pressure, 44.4 percent of them expect an increase in family income next year while 31.9 percent of the surveyed anticipate that their income will basically remain the same. Less than 8 percent predict a drop in income.