Producer confidence marginally down

The mood among Dutch manufacturers deteriorated marginally in September. Statistics Netherlands announced today that the producer confidence indicator fell from 0.0 in August to - 0.2 in September. In August, the indicator fell by 1.2 points. The lower confidence level in September is mainly due to the fact that producers tend to be less positive about their stocks of finished products.

Confidence among manufacturers is currently just below its long-term average over the past twenty years (0.5). In January 2008, the indicator reached an all-time high of 9.4 and in February 2009 the indicator reached an all-time low (- 23.5).

Producer confidence in manufacturing industry

Less positive about their stocks

Manufacturers were less positive about their stocks of finished products in September than in the previous month, but they were less negative about their order positions. The mood among manufacturers about their output over the next three months remained more or less the same as in August.

Dutch consumers also somewhat more pessimistic

Last week, Statistics Netherlands published about the marginal decline in consumer confidence in September. In the past two months, consumers became far more apprehensive about the economic climate in general. The declining confidence of producers and consumers is consistent with the tense political situation on the international level.

More figures can be found in dossier Business cycle.

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