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ifo Business Climate Index Rises Strongly (June 2020)
Sentiment among German companies has brightened further. The ifo Business Climate Index rose from 79.7 points (seasonally adjusted) in May to 86.2 points in June. This is the strongest increase ever recorded. Companies’ assessments of their current situation were somewhat better. Moreover, their expectations leaped higher. German business sees light at the end of the tunnel.
ifo Employment Barometer Sees a Minimal Decline (August 2023)
The willingness among companies in Germany to hire new staff has slightly decreased. The ifo Employment Barometer fell to 97.0 points in August, down from 97.1 points in July. “At the moment, plans for layoffs and hires are just balancing each other out,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “Because of the economic downturn, many companies are holding back on hiring.”
ifo Employment Barometer Falls Slightly (October 2021)
The German economy has lost a little of its willingness to hire. The ifo Employment Barometer fell to 103.6 points in October, down from 104.3 points in September. Nevertheless, the labor market continues to recover.
Germany: ifo Export Expectations Much Worse (November 2020)
Sentiment among German exporters has deteriorated markedly. The ifo Export Expectations for manufacturing fell from plus 7.0 points to minus 2.1 points in November. One factor in particular that is dragging down the export business is how intense the second wave of coronavirus sweeping across many European countries is.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany: Index Rises (March 2023)
Sentiment among companies in eastern Germany improved slightly in March. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy rose to 95.4 points, up from 94.8 points in February. The companies surveyed adjusted their assessments of the current situation slightly downward, while their outlook for the next six months improved somewhat.
Germany’s Export Expectations Improve Slightly (November 2023)
Sentiment in the German export industry has improved. The ifo Export Expectations rose to minus 3.8 points in November, up from minus 6.3 points in October. “However, the export economy still isn’t managing to develop any momentum,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “German companies have yet to benefit much from the economic upswing in many countries.”
ifo Export Expectations Fall (June 2022)
Sentiment among German exporters has worsened slightly. The ifo Export Expectations fell to plus 3.7 points in June, down from plus 4.4 points in May. Logistics problems and a high level of uncertainty are depressing the outlook for German exports.
Blockchain Technology in Use or Planned at 6.9% of Companies in Germany
Among German companies, 6.9% are currently using or are planning to use blockchain technology for their business processes. This is the finding of a recent survey conducted by the ifo Institute on behalf of the Hanseatic Blockchain Institute. Introducing the technology is a subject of discussion at 18.7% of all companies surveyed.
Europe: Climate Neutral by 2050
From the Paris Agreement and Fridays for Future to the recent amendment of the German Climate Change Act and the European Commission’s “Fit for 55” package: the international community, supranational organizations, national policymakers, and social movements are increasingly turning their attention directly to climate change. Fit for 55 raises the EU’s 2030 target for greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 15 percentage points to at least 55 percent compared to 1990 levels.
ifo Business Climate Saxony Continues Upward Trend (September 2020)
The ifo Business Climate Index Saxony rose marginally in September from 93.8 points to 95.0 points. The survey participants’ assessments of their current situation improved considerably compared with the previous month, and business expectations for the coming six months brightened a little.
Business Climate in German Retail Remains Gloomy
The ifo Business Climate in Germany’s retail deteriorated in February for the third consecutive month, finds the latest ifo Institute survey. The indicator for assessments of the current business situation fell to -18 points, down from -15.2 points* in January. Expectations improved only slightly, with the indicator remaining at the low level of -36.7 points. “The economic environment remains very challenging for retailers,” says ifo expert Patrick Höppner. “Consumers are holding back on shopping, which is putting a strain on retailers’ businesses.”
ifo Business Climate Index Rises (April 2024)
Sentiment has improved at companies in Germany. The ifo Business Climate Index rose to 89.4 points in April, up from 87.9 points1 in March. This is its third consecutive rise. Companies were more satisfied with their current business. Their expectations also brightened. The economy is stabilizing, especially thanks to service providers.
ifo Business Climate Index for Eastern Germany Rises Sharply (March 2021)
Sentiment among companies in eastern Germany improved greatly in March. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy climbed to 94.9 points from 91.0 points in February. The survey participants’ assessments of the current situation improved markedly, and pessimism regarding future expectations also ebbed.
ifo Business Climate Index Rises (February 2023)
Sentiment has improved among German business leaders. The ifo Business Climate Index rose to 91.1 points in February, up from 90.1 points in January. Expectations in particular were brighter. However, assessments of the current situation were slightly less good. The German economy is gradually working its way out of a period of weakness.
Economic Experts Survey: Economists Expect Inflation to Fall Worldwide (Q3 2023)
How are economists’ expectations for future price developments evolving worldwide? Can a decline in inflation expectations be observed? The latest survey of the Economic Experts Survey (EES) of the ifo Institute and the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy examines inflation expectations of economists on a global level. The result: although inflation expectations worldwide remain well above central banks’ inflation target, a further decline in the expected inflation rate for 2023 compared with previous quarters is evident.
Economic Experts Survey: Experts Worldwide Call for Significant Relaxation of Covid-19 Health Measures (Q1 2022)
Due to the Omicron variant, the Covid-19 pandemic regained momentum in the first quarter of 2022 in many countries, leading to significant restrictions on economic activity. Nevertheless, participants in the Economic Experts Survey (EES) see a significant quarter-on-quarter improvement in global Covid-19 health measures and call for relaxing restrictions.
ifo Export Expectations Fall (May 2023)
Sentiment in the German export industry is markedly worse. The ifo Export Expectations fell to +1.8 points in May, down from +6.5 points in April. This is the lowest level since November 2022. “Global interest rate hikes are slowly having an effect on demand,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “The German export economy lacks momentum.”
ifo Employment Barometer Rises (May 2021)
German companies are planning to hire more employees. The ifo Employment Barometer rose to 100.2 points in May after measuring 98.3 points in April. This is its highest value since June 2019. Progress with vaccinations and the prospect of reopening the economy are having a positive effect on the labor market.
ifo Business Climate Eastern Germany: Economy on the Upswing (July 2020)
The eastern German economy continued to recover in July 2020. The ifo Business Climate Index for the entire regional economy in eastern Germany climbed from 88.8 points to 92.5 points. Survey participants’ assessments of the current situation and their business expectations both rose strongly compared to the previous month.
Economic Experts Survey: Substantial Risk of Recession by the End of 2024 According to Economic Experts (Q4 2023)
As the growth expectations of many experts in the Economic Experts Survey for 2024 are below average, the question arises as to how high the probability of a recession is in the respective countries. The growth forecasts did not include a confidence interval, so it could be that many experts expect significantly lower growth rates in their countries in the most pessimistic scenario. Furthermore, even if growth rates are positive for the year as a whole, a country could experience a technical recession during the year (two consecutive quarters with growth rates below 0%). To assess the likelihood of such scenarios, we asked the experts in the Economic Experts Survey about the probability of a recession occurring in their country by the end of 2024.