Austria: Economic sentiment eases in September
Economic sentiment came in at 78.9 in September, down from August’s 82.3. September’s result marked the weakest sentiment since June 2020. As a result, the index remained entrenched below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a downbeat near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected declining sentiment in the industrial sector. Additionally, sentiment in the services sector waned in September, and sentiment in the retail sector deteriorated in the surveyed month. These developments more than offset improved sentiment in the construction sector. Lastly, consumers were more pessimistic in September.
Referring to indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations improved, while the economic uncertainty index rose in September.