IT is clear that, in common with so much of the rest of the world, Jersey has been experiencing the effects of the worst recession for many decades.

It is possible that we are now beginning to see the first signs of real recovery, but even if the economy bounces back, the lingering consequences of the downturn will remain with us for a long time.

Indeed, simply returning to the levels of economic performance and prosperity enjoyed before the crisis will be a major endeavour.

When the causes and costs of recession are considered, it is all too easy to view the issues only from the perspective of business. However, vital as business activity and enterprise are to the well-being of any community, we must not lose sight of the fact that the final impact of recessionary times is felt not by organisations, but by individual human beings.

Moreover, well-resourced businesses with adequate reserves are capable of riding out rough times. The same is not necessarily true of individuals – particularly those of slender means, who inevitably feel the pinch most keenly.

With this in mind, the Jersey Evening Post has launched a survey with the intent of determining the way in which the recession has affected – and is continuing to affect – Islanders. The questionnaire published today on Page 3 of the newspaper offers ordinary people the opportunity to indicate how the recession, as a
phenomenon involving real pounds and pence as opposed to an abstract concept, has modified spending patterns, attitudes to job security, perceptions of prosperity and hopes and fears for the future.

The questionnaire also invites Islanders to offer an assessment of the government’s response to harsh economic conditions and of the effectiveness of the £44 million stimulus package designed to protect jobs and spur economic activity.

Some might say that if those famous but elusive green shoots of recovery are detectable, everyone should focus on what must now be achieved rather than on a difficult period that we would do well to put behind us.

There is truth in this, but it is also the case that there will be lessons to be learned from an episode in our history which has shown that complacency, resting on laurels and the idea that we have some automatic right to comfort and wealth have no part in Island life.