Producer confidence marginally lower

The producer confidence index declined marginally in June 2010. The indicator stood at – 0.7, versus + 0.4 in May. Early 2009, confidence dropped to an all-time low. Since then, the mood among Dutch manufacturers has improved almost continuously.

Producer confidence consists of three component indicators: producers’ opinions on stocks of finished products, their opinions on their order books and expected output in the next three months.

Manufacturers were less optimistic about their stocks of finished products in June than in May. Opinions on their order position hardly changed. Manufacturers who are pessimistic about their order position outnumbered their optimistic counterparts. They remained as positive about their future output as in May.

The mood among Dutch producers about future employment in their branch is gradually picking up. The upward trend continued in June. However, manufacturers expecting employment in their branch to increase in the next three months were still outnumbered by those expecting a downturn.

Producer confidence in manufacturing industry