Mood among manufacturers deteriorated
The mood among Dutch manufacturers deteriorated in September after several months of improvements. The producer confidence indicator fell from -1.6 in August to -2.8 in September.
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 were more pessimistic about their future output and their order positions than in August. Their opinions on their stocks of finished products also deteriorated.
Producer confidence in manufacturing industry
In the course of 2013, manufacturers became somewhat less apprehensive about future employment in their branch. Nonetheless, 18.5 percent of manufacturers anticipated staff cuts in September during the next three months; 10 percent expected employment to improve. The balance of positive and negative answers improved from -9.5 in August to -8.5 in September.
Expectations workforce next three months
More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.
For more information on economic indicators, the reader is referred to the Economic Monitor.