Finland: Economic sentiment rises in October
The economic sentiment index rose to 79.8 in October from September’s 78.8. Despite the uptick, 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 less-downbeat sentiment in the industrial sector, which rose for the first time since May, and in the retail sector. That said, weaker sentiment was noted in the construction and services sectors; the latter fell to a near three-year low. Lastly, consumer sentiment weakened in October.
Referring to indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations were healthier, and the economic uncertainty index improved in October.