Poll: Business climate in Bulgaria improves in January
A regular monthly poll has found that the business climate in Bulgaria rebounded in January, rising by 6.9 percentage points compared to December, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on January 28.
This increase came after two months of decline, which reversed a six-month upward trend recorded after the indicator plunged to a 23-year low in April 2020 amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The poll covers four sectors in Bulgaria, all of them showing an improvement in business sentiment.
The indicator in the construction sector went up by 6.1 percentage points, with improved expectations about the next three months.
In Bulgaria’s retail trade, the indicator recorded the largest increase, by 11.2 percentage points compared with December, with retailers positive in their assessments and expectations regarding their enterprises. Their forecasts about both the volume of sales and orders to be placed with suppliers over the next three months were improving.
The service sector indicator rose by six percentage points. Managers were optimistic both in their assessment of their enterprises and about current and future demand in the sector.
The construction sector was up by 5.1 percentage points, on the back of positive assessments of the current state of companies and expectations for the future by managers.
The poll results came at the close of a month in which Bulgaria has been under a number of restrictions meant to slow down the increases in the figures for active cases and deaths from Covid-19. Earlier this week, health authorities announced a gradual easing of restrictions.
(Photo: Carl Dwyer/freeimages.com)
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