Fewer Dutch cut spending in 2014

Although many Dutch households reported a cut in spending in 2014, a smaller percentage of the country slashed their personal budgets compared to last year, according to market research firm Ipsos. In a survey of a thousand people in the Netherlands, the firm found that some 67 percent of people in the country tightened their belts, compared to 86 percent a year earlier. Ten percent of respondents indicated that they had lost their jobs due to the economic crisis. While 40 percent of those interviewed said that making ends meet is difficult, fourteen percent say that they are short of money at the end of the month. When asked about politics, a 43-percent minority perceives the government as having a negative impact on the economy, a marked improvement over the 80-percent who said last year that the Dutch government worsened the economic crisis. The survey also reveals that level of appreciation for the government is back to pre-MH17 levels, with the effect of the aftermath evaporating completely.