Economic confidence reaches 10-year high

Economic confidence among Dutch manufacturers has reached its highest level since 1985, national statistics office CBS said today. Producer confidence has been rising steadily since summer 2005 when the CBS first launched the index.


Employers are particularly positive about future production levels and their order books, the figures show. ‘Everything is looking good,’ CBS statistician Simon Algera told BNR Nieuwsradio. ‘Exports are up, consumption is up, order books are good and companies expect to take on more staff soon. These are all reasons to be positive about the economy.’
At the same time, consumer confidence has stabilized at equally high levels following a year of consistent growth, the CBS says. Consumers were also willing to make major purchases even though they were slightly less enthusiastic about their own personal circumstances. ‘All signals are still on green,’ Algera said. ‘There are no indications that this will change’.
The economic recovery is one of the ruling Christian Democrat’s main thrusts in its election campaign, with party leaders emphasising that the Netherlands has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe and the highest economic growth.
In September, the CBS said the economy had grown by 2.8% in the second quarter, double earlier estimates. The growth was driven by higher production in the industrial, construction and healthcare sectors.

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