Netherlands: Economic sentiment eases in March
Economic sentiment came in at 97.8 in March, down from February’s 98.5. Consequently, the index remained below the long-term average of 100, pointing to a muted near-term outlook for the economy.
The headline print reflected weaker sentiment in the industrial and retail sectors. More positively, March saw improved sentiment in the construction sector, stable confidence in the services sector and stronger consumer confidence.
Referring to indicators that are not used to calculate the index, employment expectations improved, while the economic uncertainty index decreased in March.