Apr 30, 2008

Euro area: inflation is decreasing slightly, but confidence falls

Euro area: inflation is decreasing slightly, but confidence falls


Inflation slowed in April, falling to 3.3% after 3.6% in March. Unemployment remains stable but the confidence of both consumers and industry, declines sharply.

The rate of inflation in the euro zone was reduced to 3.3% in April to an annual rate, after rising by 3.6% in March, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by Eurostat. Economists were expecting an inflation rate higher by 3.4% for the month of April to an annual rate.

At the same time, the European Commission published its monthly survey on business climate that is marked this month by a deterioration stronger than expected. The economic sentiment index, which summarizes the views of entrepreneurs and consumers, fell to 97.1 in April after 99.6 in March, while economists were expecting, on average, an index to 99. A year trôt, it still amounted to 110.4 points.

On the industrial index of business climate - to 0.44 in April after 0.79 in March and while economists were expecting 0.70 - lies about it to its lowest level since January 2006, he there are more than two years.

Finally, the unemployment rate in the euro zone stood at 7.1% in March, unchanged compared to the previous two months, according to corrected data (CVS) Eurostat. The unemployment decline since the beginning of the year in the euro zone, but it remains at its lowest level since the creation of statistics for the area.

A year ago, in March 2007, it was still 7.5%, and then decreased to reach 7.2% at the end of last year. For the whole EU, unemployment stood at 6.7% in March, was also stable compared to February.

The Netherlands showed the unemployment rate the lowest in the EU, at 2.6%, while the highest levels were recorded in Slovakia (9.8%) and Spain (9.3% ). In France, unemployment stood at 7.8%, unchanged from February. In Germany it is 7.3%, a slight decrease compared to 7.4% in February, according to Eurostat.

by erectusplus at 8:07 AM |

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