Job security now weighs heavier than issues that previously topped people's priority list for government, such as combating climate change and cutting taxes. Fighting unemployment now ranks third after two other top priorities: securing basic services and reducing poverty.
A third of the respondents said they believe the government will be able to stave off the ill effects of the recession.
The poll was commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and conducted by Gallup in mid-December. Some 1,000 Finns over the age of 15 were surveyed.