this Harmonized Indicator of Job Confidence ICEA, whose publication coincides with the National Institute of Statistics (INE), decreased by 2.9% in the fourth quarter of the year compared to the previous quarter, in contrast to the 7.5% increase in the summer months.
The decline in business confidence recorded in the fourth quarter is due to the worsening of both conditions. expectation indicator In addition to the current status indicator, a high inflation rate, high raw material prices and increases in interest rates, in a context marked by the war in Ukraine.
especially, balance of expectations (the difference between the opinions of optimistic and pessimistic businessmen) was -11.8 points, compared to the 4.2 points decrease recorded in the previous quarter.
This is because of the percentage of business organizations that consider it. your business progress will be positive Between October and December of this year, it was 15.5%, which is lower than the previous quarter (19.6%), while entrepreneurs who are pessimistic about the development of their business have increased from 23.8% compared to the previous quarter. 27.3%.
At the same time, the percentage of entrepreneurs who consider thisand your business will continue as normal increased to 57.2% compared to 56.6% in the previous quarter.
worsens the perception of the situation
For its part, the balance sheet (difference between positive and negative responses compared to the last quarter) improved by more than three points from the previous quarter. 1.3 points in the third quarter in fourth place to -2.3 points.
This more negative view of the current situation, workplaces I think that those who think that their business has developed negatively in the last three months and those who think that they have behaved positively have decreased.