Browse Topics
Tools
Internaxx Stock Market
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.3 0.50
DAX 5252.45 1.50
IBEX 30 10726.8 0.59
CAC 40 3377.59 1.40
FTSE 100 4564.5 0.79
AEX 276.85 0.95
DJIA 9096.72 -0.13
Nasdaq 1975.51 0.39
FTSE MIB 20341.67 1.65
TSX Composite 10570.54 -1.74
ASX 4148.9 -0.60
Hang seng 20135.5 -2.37
Straits Times 0.00
ISEQ 20 442.48 0.27
You are here: Home News Belgian News Belgian business confidence lowest since at least 1980

23/12/2008Belgian business confidence lowest since at least 1980

Belgian central bank's monthly confidence index fell in December to minus 31.3 points.

BRUSSELS - Belgian business leaders' confidence in the economic outlook fell this month to the lowest level in at least 28 years, according to a survey on Monday seen as a bellweather for the eurozone.

The Belgian central bank's monthly confidence index fell in December to minus 31.3 points from minus 23.7 points in November, tumbling to the lowest level since the survey began in its current form in 1980.

The slump was particularly marked in the manufacturing sector, where the confidence index plunged to minus 36.5 points from minus 27.1 points while the construction and retail sectors saw more modest declines.

Although Belgium is only a small part of the eurozone, economists closely watch the survey for trends in the broader 15-nation eurozone because the country's economy trades heavily with the rest of the bloc.

(AFP/Expatica)

0 reactions to this article

Discussion Forums

Family

English school in Ghent?, by nicholatendam

Networking

Community Liaison Professional moving to Ghent, by WWWcoach

Expat Get-Togethers

Brussels, by chalks

Expat Get-Togethers

expats in Leuven - Tremelo - Heist op den Berg area?, by Kim1965

Housing

Is it good time to buy a house in Belgium now?, by jez cunningham

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Looking for work in Belgium

Looking for work in Belgium

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.

Learning to cope with life abroad

Learning to cope with life abroad

The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.