Greeks pessimistic over economy, unrest

ATHENS: An opinion poll shows that about two thirds of Greeks believe the country's economy will deteriorate and that labor unrest will intensify as the government implements austerity measures to fight the debt crisis.

The poll for the daily Kathimerini newspaper and Skai TV found 69 per cent of respondents believe the economy will get worse, compared to 12 per cent who see it improving, while 81 per cent say they expect more strikes and labor action in the coming months.

The government's approval rating in June fell to 18 per cent from 22 per cent in May, although it remained ahead of the opposition conservatives, who garnered 9 per cent.

The poll was conducted by the Public Issue company and published in Kathimerini Friday. It has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.