To investigate social moods the CBOS uses such indicators as: an assessment of current political and economic situation, forecasts for these aspects as well as opinions on economic situation of respondents’ workplaces and quality of living in their households.

According to average results, the Poles still have the worst opinion about their country’s political situation. However, after a significant increase in dissatisfaction with political situation in July, we noted that this trend slowed down in September. The average results in the third quarter were the highest this year. Negative opinions still dominate in the assessment of economic situation, however, September opinions were slightly better than in previous months (similar to those noted in May and June). As usually positive opinions overweigh negative in the assessment of workplace situation and interviewees’ household standard of living. However, while workplace situation received the highest notes in August, the assessment of households’ quality of living reached the highest satisfaction rank in July and since then has declined.

With regard to forecasts for the coming year we have not noted any definite changes. Comparison of the June’s and the last-three-month’s forecasts on political situation reveals that after a rise in pessimism the opinions noted in September were similar to those in June. All third-quarter forecasts for economic situation were worse than in June and in August they were the worst this year. At the beginning of the third quarter, forecasts for material conditions of respondents’ households were the best this year but in August we noted a significant increase in pessimism and at the end of this quarter an adjustment of this change. The workers’ forecasts for workplace situation were the most optimistic in July, however, later we have noted a gradual rise of pessimism. September forecasts were the worst this year.