CANADIAN JOB ANXIETY (20%) DROPS TO LOWEST POINT IN A DECADE OF ANGUS REID GROUP TRACKING - RECESSION REBOUND NOW STABLE

ALMOST A THIRD (31%) EXPECT THEIR OWN FAMILY ECONOMIC SITUATION TO IMPROVE DURING THE YEAR AHEAD, AND 54% EXPECT IT TO REMAIN THE SAME.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR, ONE-IN-THREE (33%) CANADIANS EXPECT THE CANADIAN ECONOMY TO IMPROVE AND NEARLY HALF (47%) THINK IT WILL REMAIN THE SAME - ONLY 19% PREDICT A WORSENING OF THE ECONOMY

FOUR-IN-10 (38%) CANADIANS EXPECT THEIR PROVINCIAL ECONOMY TO IMPROVE AND ALMOST A THIRD (31%) EXPECT THEIR OWN FAMILY ECONOMIC SITUATION TO IMPROVE DURING THE YEAR AHEAD.

This Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail poll is based on a national telephone survey conducted between July 26th and July 30th, 1999 among a representative cross-section of 1,516 Canadian adults. These data are statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional, age and sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to 1996 Census data. With a national sample of 1,516, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results are within +2.5 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

With a strong national economy as the backdrop, Canadians are painting a confident economic picture of themselves, their country, and their province for the year ahead. Canada's recession rebound has stabilized, as job anxiety continued to drop to the lowest point (20%) in a decade of Angus Reid Group polling on the issue. Almost a third (31%) of Canadians expect improvement in their own family economic situation, and 54% expect it to remain the same. Importantly, one-in-three (33%) Canadians believe the Canadian economy will improve over the next year, and four-in-10 (38%) are optimistic that their provincial economy will improve in the coming year.

These are the highlights gleaned from a national Angus Reid Group/Globe and Mail telephone survey of 1,516 Canadian adults. Interviews were conducted between July 26th and July 30th, 1999. A sample size of 1,516 is said to have a corresponding margin of error of +2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Only 20% of Canadian Households Worried about Losing their Job or Being Laid Off

Corresponding with the strong economy and optimistic outlook of the public, Canadian "job anxiety" is at an all-time low, as only 20% of Canadians indicate that someone in their household is worried about losing or being laid off from their job. Continuing the steady decline since November 1995 (32%), this figure represents a one-point drop since May 1999 (21%), a four-point drop since November 1998 (24%), and a 11-point drop since March 1997 and September 1996 (31%). Since the peak of September 1993 (35%), Canadian job anxiety has posted an impressive 15-point decline. Notably, this low level of anxiety is common to all Canadians, as there are no significant differences among any of the demographic groupings.

Almost a Third (31%) Feel that Their Own Family Economic Situation will Improve Over the Next Year - Over half (54%) Think It will Remain Unchanged and Only 15% Believe It will Worsen

Almost a third (31%) of Canadians feel that their own family's economic future will be brighter, compared to only 15% who believe it will be bleaker. Over half (54%) think that their economic situation will stay the same in the coming year.

• University graduates (36%) and those who have completed some post-secondary education (32%) are more likely to foresee an improved economic situation for themselves and their family than those who only hold a high school degree (28%) and those who have not completed high school (26%).
• Canadians aged 55 and older (12%) are much less likely to expect improved personal economic fortunes than those in the 35-54 (31%) and 18-34 (46%) age brackets.
• Albertans (39%) are the most optimistic about their personal economic future whereas residents of the Atlantic provinces (24%) and Manitoba and Saskatchewan (23%) are the least likely to foresee improvement.

In A Year's Time, One-In-Three (33%) Canadians Expect the National Economy to Improve and Nearly Half (47%) Expect it to Remain the Same - Only 19% Expect it to Get Worse

In a year's time, one-in-three (33%) Canadians expect the national economy to improve and nearly half (47%) expect it to remain the same compared to just 19% who foresee a downturn.

• Men (41%) are much more likely to expect an improved Canadian economy in a year's time than women (25%).
• Households with an annual income of $60,000 or more (40%) are more likely to foresee an improved Canadian economy than those in the $30,000-$59,000 (32%) and less than $30,000 (28%) income brackets.
• Canadians who have completed a university degree (41%) are more likely to think that the national economy will improve over the next year than those who do not hold a university degree (30%).
• Residents of British Columbia (38%) are the most likely to have faith in the national economy, whereas residents of Quebec (29%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (28%) are the least optimistic.

38% of Canadians Believe Their Provincial Economy will Improve During the Year Ahead - 38% Say it will Stay the Same and Just One Quarter (24%) Think it will Get Worse

Thirty-eight percent of Canadians believe their provincial economy will improve over the next year, and an equal proportion (38%) think it will remain the same. Just under a quarter (24%) think it will worsen.

• Albertans (62%) express the most confidence in their province's economic fortunes in the next year - a 13-point increase since May 1999.
• In a 10-point drop from May 1999, Quebec residents (23%) are the least likely to believe their provincial economy will improve.
• Ontarians (47%) and residents of the Atlantic provinces (38%) are more likely to say they expect improvement in their provincial economy than those in British Columbia (26%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (25%).

For further information contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900

The Angus Reid Group is Canada's largest and most well known Canadian research company. Established in 1979 by Dr. Angus Reid, the company serves 1200 clients via its six offices in Canada, four offices in the United States and its European office in London, England. With a compliment of 250 full time qualitative and quantitative researchers, the company has annual revenues of $65 Million and is growing at an average rate of 30 percent per year. The employee owned company also operates its own field service entity, Direct Reid, utilizing 450 CATI telephone interviewing stations for north American calling and a 50,000 household consumer panel in Canada.