Poll: Business sentiment in Bulgaria declined slightly in February 2020

The business climate in Bulgaria declined in February 2020 compared with January, when it had improved, according to the findings of a regular monthly poll by the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

The business climate indicator was down by 0.8 percentage points, pushed down by the more unfavourable business climate in Bulgaria’s retail trade and service sector.

The poll measures opinions among managers in four sectors – industry, retail, construction and services.

The “business climate in industry” indicator was largely unchanged from January, with managers’ expectations about the next three months worsened, the NSI said. The main negative factors in the sector were labour shortages and the uncertain economic environment.

The indicator in the construction sector was up by 0.5 percentage points, a result of managers being more optimistic about the next six months. In the next three months, they expected to hire more workers, while the negative factors in the sector were labour shortages, the uncertain economic environment, and competition.

The retail trade indicator was down by 0.6 percentage points, as managers’ views of the current business situation shifted from “good” to “satisfactory”. They saw their main difficulties as competition in the sector, insufficient demand and the uncertain economic environment.

In Bulgaria’s service sector, the indicator dropped by 3.6 percentage points. Managers’ expectations about demand were more reserved, the poll found. They saw the main problem as competition in the sector, followed by the uncertain economic environment and labour shortages, the NSI said.

(Photo: ela23/freeimages.com)

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