Financial Times/Harris Poll on Migration in the EU 

Public Perception of the Health of EU Economies, Whether People Feel Life in Their Country is Getting Better or Worse 

Which Countries are the Greatest Threat to Global Stability

LONDON and Rochester, N.Y. – 19 February 2007 – The latest Financial Times/Harris Poll shows that adults surveyed in five European countries have mixed opinions when asked if they would consider working in another European Union (EU) country. Over half of Italian respondents (54%) stated that they would, followed by Germans (49%) and Britons (45%), Spaniards (36%) and the French (23%). Across all countries with the exclusion of Spain, males are significantly more likely to consider working in a different EU country.

This FT/Harris Poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,561adults (aged 16 and over) within France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and adults (aged 18 and over) in Italy, and in the United States between 31^st January and 12^th February 2007.

Among those from five EU countries surveyed, who would consider working in another EU country:

• Spain (17%), the UK (15%), and France (11%) are more likely to be preferred as countries to work in.
• Britons are most likely to state a preference for Spain (18%), France (17%) and Italy (9%), with the first predominantly English speaking country appearing 4^th (Ireland (9%).
• The French are more likely to cite Spain (23%), followed by the UK (20%) and Italy (9%) as the countries they would prefer to work in.
• Italians are most likely to state Spain (25%) as the country that they would prefer to work in, followed by the UK (21%), and France (16%).
• Spaniards cite the UK (28%), France (13%), and Italy & Germany (both 12%) as their preferred countries.
• Germans would prefer Austria (17%), Spain (14%) and the Netherlands & the UK (both at 10%).

Health of EU economies

When asked about the EU country with the healthiest economy, the UK and Germany (both 15%), are the strongest contenders, followed closely by Sweden (12%). When looking at the results on a country by country basis:

• Adults in the Great Britain (26%) and Italy (23%) are more likely to say that the United Kingdom has the healthiest economy,
• The Spanish (26%) are much more likely than the other countries to cite Germany as the healthiest economy.
• Germans (15%) are more likely to cite Sweden as having the healthiest economy.

Among all EU adults surveyed, unsurprisingly, greater quality of life (64%) would be the predominant factor that would persuade them to migrate to another country, followed by greater job satisfaction (45%). There are only minor variations across countries on this, with the exclusion of Great Britain.

• Britons also state greater quality of life (68%) as the main factor that would persuade them to emigrate, although lower property prices and better weather (both 49%), and a cleaner environment (40%), were more important factors than greater job satisfaction (36%).

The view is remarkably pessimistic across Europe and the U.S. when adults are asked whether life in their country was getting worse or getting better. About two-thirds of adults overall (65%) say they feel life in their country is getting worse.

• Italians are the most likely to say life in their country is getting worse (78%), followed by the French (73%) and the British (69%).

Among the six countries, the Spanish, Germans and Americans are more likely to express optimism:

• 20% of Spanish adults state that they believe life in their country is getting better.
• 12% of Germans and 11% of U.S. adults echoing this optimism.

The British (47%) and German (45%) adults are most likely among the countries to feel negative about migration by workers within the EU. Conversely, 42 percent of Spanish believe that migration within the EU has had a positive impact.

Only a small minority of EU adults surveyed feels that border controls should be loosened (4%), with just under a quarter (23%) stating that the border controls are sufficient, versus almost two-thirds of adults (65%) who feel that border controls need to be tightened.

• Britons (76%) and Spanish (71%) are the countries most likely to favour tighter border controls.
• German and French adults are more likely to say that the border controls are sufficient (32% and 31% respectively).

Other interesting findings among six countries measured:

• A majority (57%) feels that there are too many foreigners in their country, whilst just over a quarter (26%) of adults feels that there is about the right number of foreigners in their country.
• Very small proportions in each country cite there are "too few" foreigners in their country.
• Britons are the most likely to state that there are too many foreigners in their country (66%), followed by the Spanish (62%) and Italians (61%). The French are proportionately more likely to state there is about the right number of foreigners in their country (37%), followed by Germany (29%).

Additionally:

Among six countries surveyed, the U.S. (28%), Iran (18%) and China (18%) are thought to be countries that are the largest threat to global stability.

Q1705_1 "Thinking now about the European Union. Would you consider working in another European country?"

Base: All E.U. adults in five countries

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Q1710_1 "You say that you would consider working in another European country. Which country would you most consider working in?"

Base: All E.U. adults in five countries that would consider working in another EU country

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

*Less Than 0.5%

-No Response

Q1715_1 "In your opinion, which European Union country has the healthiest economy?"

Base: All E.U. adults in five countries

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

*Less Than 0.5%

-No Response

Q1720_1 "We would now like to talk to you about another subject. Which of the following factors, if any, could persuade you to emigrate to another country?"

Base: All E.U. adults in five countries

Note: Multiple-response question.

Q1725_1 "Do you think that life in your country is…?"

Base: All adults in six countries

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Q1730_1 "Do you think migration by workers within the European Union has made a positive, negative or neutral economic impact on…?"

Base: All E.U. adults in five countries

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Q1735_1 "Should…tighten up its border controls to stem the flow of workers immigrating from Central and Eastern Europe?"

Base: All E.U. adults in five countries

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Q1740_1 "In your opinion, are there too many, too few, or about the right number of people from foreign countries in…?"

Base: All adults in six countries

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Q 1745_1 "Which one, if any, of the following countries do you think is the greatest threat to global stability?"

Base: All adults in six countries

*Less than 0.5%.

Note: Percentages may not add up exactly to 100% due to rounding.

This FT/Harris Poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,561 adults (aged 16 and over) within France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and the United States, and adults (aged 18 and over) in Italy, between 31st January and 12th February 2007. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. Both unweighted and weighted bases are shown, and results/percentages represented are weighted.

Unweighted bases for the survey are: Total 6,561; France 1,138; Germany 1,068; Great Britain 1,166; Italy 1,075; Spain 1,027 and the USA 1,087.

Weighted bases for the survey are: Total 6,568; France 1,138; Germany 1,069; Great Britain 1,102; Italy 1,084; Spain 1,034 and the USA 1,140.

All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order, deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, non-response (including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used) and weighting. With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided.

With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 5,474, one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/-1.5 percentage point. For individual countries, sampling error is +/-3 percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Harris Interactive is the 12^th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.

Vivienne Timmins
+44 7989390179
vtimmins@harrisinteractive.com

Nancy Wong
585-214-7316
nwong@harrisinteractive.com