The National Institute of Statistics has published on 29th of January the trends in the evolution of the economic activity in the period January-March 2018.
The conclusions of the press release indicate the following: stability in industry and services, moderate growth of the number of employees in services and price growth in constructions and retail trade.
The balance published indicates the perception of the companies’ managers over the dynamics of a phenomenon, which should not be seen as the intensity of increase or decrease of any statistical indicator value that is produced by the INS (The National Institute of Statistics).
The balance is calculated as a difference between the percentage of respondents who chose the positive alternative of the phenomenon and the percentage of those who indicated the negative alternative.
Manufacturing
According to the business tendency survey of January 2018, managers from the manufacturing industry forecast a relative stability of the production volume (balance +4%) for the next three months. A decreasing tendency (balance -33%) is estimated for the manufacturing of tobacco products. For the prices of the industrial products, a moderate growth is forecasted for the next three months (balance +14%).
Regarding the number of employees, a relative stability is estimated, the balance being 0% per total manufacturing.
Constructions
According to January 2018 estimations, there will be a decrease in the production volume of the construction activity for the next three months (balance -18%). Managers also forecast a moderate decrease in the number of employees (balance -14%). As to the prices of construction works, a growth is forecasted (balance +19%).
Retail trade
In the retail trade sector, managers estimate a moderate decreasing tendency in the economic activity for the next three months (balance -7%). The volume of orders placed by the trade units to the suppliers of goods will register a moderate decrease (balance -8%).
Employers forecast a relative stability in the number of employees (balance +3%) for the next three months. For the next period, managers of trade companies estimate a growth of the retail prices (balance +22%).
Services
According to January 2018 estimations, the demand for services (turnover) will register a relative stability for the next three months (balance 0%). For the services sector it is forecasted a moderate growth in the number of employees (balance +6%). According to the managers, the selling or invoice prices of provisions will register a trend of moderate growth (balance +9%).
Note: According to the methodological notes, the results presented in the press release were obtained from the business tendency surveys, based on the estimations of the companies ’managers regarding the evolution trends of economic activity.
The responses received (managers of enterprises in the sample of statistical survey choose only one alternative response for this type of questions) are later processed and the final result is obtained as a percentage business tendency balance, obtained as a difference between the percentage of those who chose the positive alternative of the phenomenon and the percentage of those who indicated the negative alternative.
For further information: National Institute of Statistics – Press Release No. 22/ January 29, 2018