Manufacturers less positive
The long-term average over the past two decades is 1.0. Producer confidence reached an all-time high (10.9) in February 2018 and an all-time low (-23.5) in February 2009. Optimism has prevailed among Dutch manufacturers since October 2014.
| jaar | maand | balance (average of the component questions) |
|---|---|---|
| December | 3 | |
| 2016 | January | 3.2 |
| 2016 | February | 3.1 |
| 2016 | March | 3.9 |
| 2016 | April | 4.7 |
| 2016 | May | 4.4 |
| 2016 | June | 5.4 |
| 2016 | July | 5.1 |
| 2016 | August | 1.2 |
| 2016 | September | 3.4 |
| 2016 | October | 4.3 |
| 2016 | November | 3.4 |
| 2016 | December | 4.7 |
| 2017 | January | 6 |
| 2017 | February | 7 |
| 2017 | March | 7.8 |
| 2017 | April | 8.3 |
| 2017 | May | 6.1 |
| 2017 | June | 7.2 |
| 2017 | July | 6.6 |
| 2017 | August | 5.4 |
| 2017 | September | 8.5 |
| 2017 | October | 8.2 |
| 2017 | November | 9.1 |
| 2017 | December | 8.9 |
| 2018 | January | 10.3 |
| 2018 | February | 10.9 |
| 2018 | March | 9.5 |
| 2018 | April | 8.2 |
| 2018 | May | 9.8 |
| 2018 | June | 7.7 |
| 2018 | July | 6.3 |
| 2018 | August | 5.9 |
| 2018 | September | 5.7 |
| 2018 | October | 5.9 |
| 2018 | November | 7.2 |
| 2018 | December | 7.5 |
| 2019 | January | 5.8 |
| 2019 | February | 6.3 |
| 2019 | March | 6.1 |
| 2019 | April | 6.7 |
| 2019 | May | 4.7 |
| 2019 | Juni | 3.3 |
| 2019 | Juli | 3.9 |
| 2019 | August | 3.9 |
| 2019 | September | 3.3 |
| 2019 | October | 3.6 |
| 2019 | November | 2.8 |
Less positive about output and orders, more negative about stocks
In November, Dutch manufacturers are mainly less positive about their future output and slightly less positive about their order position. They are also more negative about their stocks of finished products.
Two component indicators of producer confidence are positive. Manufacturers who anticipate output growth over the next three months outnumber those expecting output decline. More manufacturers consider their order position to be strong rather than weak, given the time of year.
However, manufacturers’ opinions on their stocks are negative. There are more manufacturers who define their current stocks of finished products as too large rather than too small.
Producers in timber and building materials industry most positive
In November, confidence has deteriorated in most sectors. Producers in the timber and building materials industry have the most optimistic outlook. Pessimism prevails in the transport equipment industry, which is also currently the case in the metal industry.
| November 2019 (average of the component questions) | October 2019 (average of the component questions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Timber and building materials | 9.2 | 14.4 |
| Textiles, clothes, leather | 6.6 | 11.6 |
| Paper and printing | 6.5 | 9.9 |
| Petroleum | 6.1 | 2.4 |
| Food, beverages, tobacco | 3.4 | 4.5 |
| Electrotechnical products and machinery | 2.2 | 5.4 |
| Metal | -0.5 | 1.2 |
| Transport equipment | -7.2 | -6.2 |
Manufacturing output over 1 percent up in September
The average daily output generated by the Dutch manufacturing industry was 1.2 percent up in September 2019 compared to the same month last year. Output increased for the first time year-on-year since March 2019.
Confidence among German manufacturers more negative
Germany is an important foreign market for the Dutch manufacturing industry. According to the IFO index in manufacturing the business climate index has deteriorated in November. German manufacturers are more negative about their ongoing business, but slightly less negative about their future output. In September, the average daily output generated by the German manufacturing industry was 5 percent lower than in the same month last year.
Sources
Related items
- Dossier - Business Cycle