Belgium: Economic sentiment splits in May
The consumer confidence indicator produced by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) rose 2 points in May to minus 5 points. May’s uptick was due entirely to improved macroeconomic prospects, which eased consumers’ anxieties over unemployment.
Meanwhile, the NBB’s business confidence indicator fell to minus 3.6 points from minus 3.2 points in March. Deteriorating sentiment across the trade-, business, and manufacturing-related industries drove the downturn.