ROME (ITALPRESS) – In December 2024, mixed signals come from business opinion indicators: the index of consumer confidence flexes for the third month in a row from 96.6 to 96.3; on the other hand, the composite indicator of business confidence is estimated to rise (from 93.2 to 95.3) after two consecutive months of decline. This is announced by Istat. Among consumers, expectations about the country’s economic situation and expectations about unemployment, in particular, show a worsening, which is reflected in a decline in economic climate (from 97.8 to 96.1) and future climate (from 93.8 to 93.3). In contrast, personal climate shows a slight increase (from 96.2 to 96.4) and current climate remains essentially stable (from 98.7 to 98.6).With reference to businesses, the index of confidence decreases in industry (in manufacturing it falls from 86.5 to 85.8 and in construction it flexes from 101.5 to 100.9) while it increases in services, albeit with different intensities among industries: in particular, the index rises sharply in market services (from 93.9 to 99.6) while in retail trade it registers a marginal increase (the index rises from 106.8 to 106.9).As for the components of the industrial sector confidence indices, in manufacturing only production expectations improve, and in construction both variables worsen.Turning to the market services compartment, a positive trend is observed in all components of the indicator; on the other hand, in retail trade, sales judgments improve but inventories are judged to be accumulating and sales expectations decline.
– Istat press office photo -(ITALPRESS).
