Eurozone business slowdown heralds contraction
The Eurozone’s private sector contracted for a third month in November as a downturn that started in periphery countries has spread to core members of the currency bloc, new surveys have shown
The surveys point to the Eurozone economy shrinking 0.5-0.6 per cent in the fourth quarter, after 0.2 per cent growth in the third quarter, data compiler Markit said, and suggest things are unlikely to improve anytime soon.
While the bloc’s dominant service sector contracted less than expected this month, its manufacturing sector, which fuelled a large part of the last recovery, shrank more than thought as output fell to its lowest level since mid-2009.
The Flash Markit Eurozone Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which tracks business activity at thousands of firms across the 17-nation bloc, rose to 47.8 this month from October’s 46.4, beating expectations for 46.5.
But this is the third month the index has been below the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction, taking its toll on firms’ outlook.
The business expectations index fell to 52.5 from October’s 52.7 and its weakest showing since March 2009 which was not long after the bloc had passed the darkest point in the last recession.
“That indicator continued to come down which doesn’t auger well for the sector and suggests that service sector growth will continue to weaken,” Williamson said.
“Alongside a manufacturing weakness it is setting the scene for a weak start to the new year. One of the worrying signs in manufacturing is that the rate of decline is gathering momentum.”
The Eurozone’s manufacturing PMI fell to 46.4 in November from 47.1 last month, its lowest reading since July 2009 and shy of expectations for a smaller dip to 46.5.
The output index, which feeds into the broader composite survey that combines manufacturing and services, fell to 45.8 from 46.6 in October.
Worryingly, part of that remaining activity was driven by firms winding down backlogs of work at the fastest pace since June 2009, with the index falling to 43.6 from 44.0.