Euro Area: Economic sentiment declines in December
Sentiment in the Eurozone dropped to 115.3 in December from 117.5 in November. The index nonetheless remained comfortably above its long-run average of 100. Consumers grew less confident in December. Moreover, sentiment in the retail trade and services sectors worsened considerably amid the reinstatement of Covid-19-related restrictions in several countries. Moreover, employment expectations deteriorated. On the flipside, sentiment in the industry and constructions sectors improved. Meanwhile, selling price expectations eased from the new all-time high level recorded in November.
In terms of specific countries, sentiment decreased the most in the Netherlands, and it also weakened in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.