ITALIANS HARD HIT BY RECESSION, BUT LESS THAN 2008, ISTAT

ITALIANS HARD HIT BY RECESSION, BUT LESS THAN 2008, ISTAT

(ANSA) - Rome, November 6 - Italians are pessimistic about the economy, but slightly less so than the year before, according to a new lifestyle study published Friday.

The study by national statistics bureau Istat showed that 50% of Italians felt worse about their economic situation in 2009, 5% less than in 2008.

Around 44% said their outlook had not changed at all, up from 39% last year.

Istat said the improvement was significant in light of a 10% increase of Italians who said they had suffered economically in 2008, rising to 55% from 45% in 2007.

Complaints were greatest in the south, where nearly 18% of those polled said they were significantly worse off compared to the year before, against 10% in the north.

On the whole, 52% of those surveyed said their economic resources were ''sufficient'', up from 48% in 2008.