Optimism among manufacturers unchanged

Producer confidence in the manufacturing industry reached 8.8 in November 2006, almost equalling October’s record mark. Producer confidence has increased sharply since the summer of 2005. The confidence indicator has been consistently high over the last five months.

Producer confidence consists of three indicators: expected production in the next three months, opinions about the stock of finished products and opinions about the order position.

Dutch producers were more positive about their order position than they were in October. Their opinions about the stock of finished products did not change. Despite the marginal decline, manufacturers were still very optimistic about their projected production level.

The satisfaction of manufacturers is due to the gradual increase in the number of orders. The index on the order position (orders received expressed in months of work) reached 103,8 in November, slightly under October.

For the third month in a row the number of entrepreneurs expecting their workforce to increase exceeds the number of entrepreneurs expecting their workforce to decrease over the next three months. In the previous five years most entrepreneurs expected their workforce to decrease.

Producer confidence in manufacturing industry