ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, July 24, 1996 TAG: 9607240007
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research polled 1,168 adult Virginians between April 21-May 22. The margin of error is 2.9 percent. Numbers may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
Highlights biggest differences between certain groups.
WORKING FOR A LIVING
Most Virginians - 63% - think the Old Dominion is a good or excellent place to find a job.
How would you rate Virginia as a place to find a job?
Excellent 17%
Good 46%
Fair 23%
Poor 8%
Don't know 6%
But the survey showed a big regional divide: Virginians living in the "urban crescent" were more upbeat about job prospects than folks living in the rest of the state. In the crescent, 71% saw the state as excellent or good, only 21% as fair or poor. Elsewhere, only 52% saw the state as excellent or good, 42% as fair or poor. The urbanites are in a more positive mood than they were last year this time, while the numbers for the rest of the state have barely budged.
Rating Virginia as a place to find a job: Urban crescent rest of state
Excellent 21% 12%
Good 50% 40%
Fair 18% 29%
Poor 3% 13%
Don't know 7% 6%
That may explain why folks living outside the urban crescent were more inclined than their urban counterparts to believe the state isn't spending enough of attracting new employers to the state.
Do you think Virginia currently spends too much, about the right amount, or not enough money on attracting business and industries to the state?
Statewide urban crescent rest of state
Too much 8% 11% 6%
About right 54% 57% 50%
Not enough 30% 23% 37%
Don't know 8% 9% 6%
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:color graphicby CNB