Earlier this week I reported to you on the very latest research on consumer perspectives from countries like China, US, UK, Italy and Germany, with regards the COVID-19 related crisis

Today I have the pleasure of presenting to you some findings from research done this very week by EMCS (www.emcs.com.mt) on the Maltese perspectives on COVID-19.

The vast majority of Maltese feel that Government is handling well the COVID-19 crisis from a health perspective. On the other hand, whilst the majority of the Maltese feel that Government is handling well the COVID-19 crisis from an economic perspective, the ones thinking so from an economic perspective are less than the health perspective (89% health vs 69% economic).

Whilst the majority of Maltese have responded to be still in employment in the same exact way as prior to the COVID-19 crisis, there are already those who have been made redundant, on leave without pay, working a reduced week or on forced leave.

What is extremely interesting is the perception of the Maltese on job security in the current circumstances, whereby a big amount of respondents (66%) do not even fear of losing their job if the current situation drags for 3 months. The amount of persons who remain not fearful of losing their job remains high (62%) even if the current situation drags for 6 months. Could this be because a big chunk of the working force is employed in the public service? Could this be because the Maltese as true islanders have an insular view of reality, thinking that the unemployment being registered in foreign countries due to COVID-19 will not hit them? It would be interesting to see how these perceptions change over time.

Interestingly enough, at this point, the vast majority of the Maltese feel that Government is doing enough to safeguard jobs. This is to be expected if the positive perception on job security is still so high.

Also interesting is the fact that a slight majority of Maltese are ready to take a pay cut to secure their job.

As can be seen below, if one where to grade the mean scores of what is concerning the Maltese most from this COVID-19 crisis we find that the 1st concern is the health of their loved ones followed by the children’s education, then their personal mental health, then their physical health, then their current financial situation and finally the ability to find food supplies. Interesting that health concerns so far have a greater priority in the mind of the Maltese than financial worries.

EMCS (www.emcs.com.mt) has a dedicated team for market research, making it the leading firm for market research services in Malta. Besides any bespoke market research, EMCS has been conducting a consumer confidence monitor for a number of years. We believe that keeping tabs on consumer perceptions, confidence and views is extremely useful when managing a business in these uncertain times. Feel free to send me any email on silvan.mifsud@emcs.com.mt if you want to learn more about our market research services.