Austria: Economic sentiment decreases in March
Economic sentiment came in at 87.1 in March, down from February’s 88.1. As a result, the index remained entrenched below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected sentiment in the industrial sector hitting a near four-year low and sentiment in the construction sector weakening. Meanwhile, confidence in the services sector was healthier and sentiment in the retail sector rose in March. Lastly, consumer sentiment was stable in March.
Referring to indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations were healthier, while the economic uncertainty index remained unchanged in March.