Producer confidence in March was slightly below the average of the past 20 years of -1.3. Confidence reached its highest value (10.4) in October 2021. The lowest value (-31.5) was recorded in April 2020.

Manufacturers were more negative about the stock of finished products and their order portfolio in March. However, they were more positive about the expected activity in the coming three months.

One sub-indicator was positive. The number of manufacturers expecting their production to increase in the coming three months was greater than the number expecting a decrease.

The other two sub-indicators of producer confidence were negative. The number of manufacturers considering their order position to be large was smaller than the number that found the order portfolio small, considering the time of year. The number of manufacturers considering the stock of finished products as small was smaller than those finding the stocks large.

Confidence Negative in Almost All Sectors

Producer confidence was negative in almost all sectors. Manufacturers in the paper and graphic industry were the most negative.

Industrial Production Increases by 0.5 Percent in January

The calendar-corrected production of the Dutch industry was 0.5 percent higher in January than in January 2024. This is the first production increase in over a year and a half. Seasonally and calendar-adjusted, production increased by 1.0 percent in January compared to December.