Over half of Manx workers and business owners are fearing for their livelihoods, a poll has shown.

A survey by Island Global Research of 392 island residents showed that they believe Covid-19 poses a high or very high threat to their jobs or businesses.

There is positive news in the survey, carried out over three weeks, in that the figure has dropped from 61% from the week commencing March 23 to April 6.

figure

In Jersey, over the same time, the figure has fallen from 60% down to 51% while Guernsey residents have remained fairly stable at 49% to 48%.

Results across all three islands were quite similar with an average of 50% saying that Covid-19 posed a risk or high risk to their jobs.

However, that figure varied heavily based on respondents’ current employment status.

Of those still working full time, 44% of them saw the threat as high or very high, compared to 51% part time employed workers, 66% of the self employed and 70% of people who have been furloughed or are not working.

In that time, 80% of respondents across the Crown Dependencies say that they had experienced a change in how or when they work with 47% now working from home at least some of the time and 40% said their working hours have changed because of Covid-19.

The result also showed that the self employed are the most vulnerable to the Covid-19 virus as 42% of them had to close or suspend business activity, 31% saw reduced demand for their products or services and 13% said they had needed to access additional financial support.

Meanwhile, 28% of key workers said they had seen an increased demand for their products/services in the past week and 29% had worked extra hours. This rose to almost 50% of key workers in the health and social care sector.

And an overwhelming majority 81% of key workers said that Covid-19 poses a high or very high risk to their island and 67% said it posed the same risk to their families. However, only 45% saw themselves as being at high or very high risk.