Mood among manufacturers less negative

Dutch manufacturers were less pessimistic in August than in July. The producer confidence indicator climbed from -3.5 to -1.6. Although the mood improved for the fourth consecutive month, it remains negative.

Producer confidence consists of three component indicators: manufacturers’ opinions on their order positions, their opinions on their stocks of finished products and the projected output over the next three months. Manufacturers’ opinions on their stocks of finished products improved substantially. They were far less pessimistic about their future output. Manufacturers’ opinions on their order positions were slightly less negative.

 Producer confidence in manufacturing industry

Producer confidence in manufacturing industry

In August, manufacturers anticipating a more favourable economic climate in the next three months outnumbered those expecting the future economic climate to deteriorate. In the preceding months the mood had been very negative. The balance of positive and negative answers stood at 0.8 versus -9.3 in July.

More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.

For more information on economic indicators, the reader is referred to the Economic Monitor.